Danger man Travis Head crunched his fourth century in as many Tests at Adelaide Oval on Friday (December 19, 2025) as Australia built a 356-run lead over England to stand on the brink of retaining the Ashes.

The hosts were 271-4 at stumps on day three of the third Test with Head on 142 and first-innings century-maker Alex Carey not out 52, taking the five-match series out of England’s reach.

England must win after crashing inside two days at the first Test in Perth and inside four in Brisbane, both by eight wickets.

But it appears to be an impossible task with the highest run chase at the ground 316 by Australia against England in 1902.

Head’s crucial ton, his 11th, came off a composed 146 balls although he almost didn’t get there, dropped on 99 by Harry Brook as impatience got the better of him.

He has now scored a century in four consecutive Tests on his home ground, following 140 against India last year and 119 and 175 against the West Indies.

Australia suffered an early setback in a tense 20 minutes before lunch after England were all out for 286 on the back of Ben Stokes’ gritty 83 in response to Australia’s first innings 371.

Bryson Carse trapped Jake Weatherald lbw for one and he walked without reviewing after the umpire lifted his finger, although replays showed the ball was pitching outside leg stump.

It gave England a glimmer of hope, but after the break Head slammed the door shut, cutting and chopping boundaries to all corners of the ground.

Marnus Labuschagne went for 13 when he edged Josh Tongue to Harry Brook at slip, with reviews showing it carried.

Usman Khawaja, who hit a defiant 82 in the first innings after his last-minute call-up for the ill Steve Smith, was a perfect foil for the more aggressive Head.

But on 40 he was undone by the spin of Will Jacks, caught behind, and Cameron Green followed soon after for seven, edging Tongue to Brook.

After getting through the nervous 90s, Head finally brought up his century with a four off Joe Root, taking off his helmet and kissing the turf before pumping his fists.

While not in the same vein as his match-winning 69-ball century in Perth, it was a critical knock, supported by Carey and aided by Stokes not bowling after his exploits with the bat.

Gutsy Stokes

After a woeful batting display on Thursday (December 18, 2025), Stokes and Jofra Archer kept England’s dreams alive with a stirring 106-run ninth-wicket stand.

They resumed at 213-8 in muggy conditions with Stokes not out 45 and Archer on 30.

Stokes, who suffered leg cramps and dehydration during his gutsy rearguard action in sweltering 40 Celsius heat on Thursday, brought up his slowest ever 50 in Tests, off 159 balls.

He kept plugging away but finally fell when Mitchell Starc took the new ball and bowled him, with Stokes one of the few players who showed the fight he had demanded before the game.

Archer was another, ably helping his captain.

The fast bowler was the last man out when caught by Labuschagne off Scott Boland for 51 — his highest Test score and a maiden half-century

Boland ended with 3-45 while Pat Cummins took 3-69 in his first Test since July.

England’s woes began when openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, along with the under-performing Ollie Pope, departed in a 15-ball blitz on Thursday at the hands of Cummins and Nathan Lyon.

Harry Brook showed some resistance with 45, but the Australian attack was relentless.

Explosive makeshift opener Travis Head slammed the first century of the Ashes series on Saturday (November 22, 2025) and the second fastest ever by an Australian to power the hosts within sight of victory in a high-octane first Test.

Head surged to three figures off just 69 balls, crunching 12 fours and four sixes after being elevated to the top of the order in place of the injured Usman Khawaja.

It matched the 69-ball century hit by David Warner against India in 2012 and is second only to Adam Gilchrist’s 57-ball blitz against England in 2006. All three came in Perth.

The fastest century of all time is Brendon McCullum’s 54-ball fireworks in Christchurch against Australia in 2016.

Head’s run-fest left Australia needing just 48 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series.

His heroics came on the back of a blistering spell from marauding pace pair Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc after lunch that sparked a stunning England collapse.

The tourists were cruising at 65-1 and building an ominous second-innings lead, but Boland and Starc left them shell-shocked with four wickets in as many overs.

England staged a mini-recovery but were all out for 164 on the cusp of tea.

Makeshift opener Travis Head smacked an explosive 69-ball century to power Australia to victory in a high-octane first Ashes Test on Saturday as England meekly surrendered in the Perth Stadium cauldron.

Chasing 205 to win, Head slammed 123 as the hosts romped home on day two by eight wickets in an electric start to the five-match series. Marnus Labuschagne was not-out 51 and Steve Smith on two.

Head’s heroics came on the back of a blistering spell from marauding pace pair Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc after lunch that sparked a stunning England collapse.

The tourists were cruising at 65-1 and building an ominous second-innings lead, but Boland and Starc left them reeling with four wickets in as many overs.

A ruthless Boland accounted for Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33) and Harry Brook (0) in the space of 11 balls, then two deliveries later Starc sent Joe Root packing for eight.

When Starc removed skipper Ben Stokes (2), England were flailing at 88-6 and the veteran paceman had bagged a 10-wicket haul for only the third time after his first innings 7-58, a career-best.

England were partially rescued by a crucial 50-run stand between Gus Atkinson (37) and Brydon Carse (20) before being rolled for 164 at tea.

When they returned Usman Khawaja again failed to show as opener as he battles back stiffness, with Australia signalling their intent by sending in Head.

Head, who has opened nine times previously in Test cricket, quickly got into his destructive rhythm, crunching some lovely boundaries including big sixes off Carse and Mark Wood.

He made it look easy, making a mockery of the struggles other batsmen had on the bouncy track, bringing up his half-century in 36 balls, passing 4,000 Test runs in the process.

Looking to emulate him, debutant Jake Weatherald also went on the attack, but it cost him, out for 23 after a mistimed pull shot was taken by Ben Duckett off Carse.

An unruffled Head kept the pressure on, slamming four boundaries in one Stokes over and sending a six back over the head of Jofra Archer on his way to a 10th Test ton.

He eventually fell to Carse going for another big hit.

Mitchell Starc stars

Australia resumed on a paltry 123-9 in their first innings and added just nine before Nathan Lyon was removed by Carse for four to leave England with a 40-run advantage.

Stokes was the star of the show, claiming 5-23 off just 36 balls to give England a golden opportunity to win a Test in Australia for the first time since the 2010-11 series.

They had been all out for 172 at the hands of Starc on day one.

Australia were banking on the 35-year-old to emulate his exploits in the second innings and he whipped the sold-out Perth Stadium crowd into a frenzy when he removed Zak Crawley in his first over.

The veteran consigned Crawley to a pair, diving to his left in an incredible feat of athleticism for a memorable caught-and-bowled.

Duckett and Pope settled in, safely reaching lunch at 59-1.

But Scott Boland began to find his radar when they returned.

Duckett edged to Steve Smith in the slips then Pope did the same to wicketkeeper Alex Carey before Brook repeated the feat to Khawaja.

After a first innings duck Joe Root was desperate for runs, but he was no match for the relentless Starc, dragging a thick edge onto his stumps to cap a miserable start to the series.

Brendan Doggett then cleaned up Jamie Smith, (15), Carse and Archer (5).