Travball Trumps Bazball: Head’s Record Century Seals Shock Two-Day Ashes Thrashing

Perth, Australia – November 22, 2025

The 2025/26 Ashes series exploded into life with a stunning and chaotic finish, as Australia defeated England by eight wickets in the First Test at Perth Stadium, wrapping up the contest inside just two days.

The victory, the fastest Ashes Test finish since 1921, was spearheaded by a blistering, counter-attacking century from Travis Head, who scored one of the fastest hundreds in the series’ history, vaporizing England’s modest fourth-innings target.

Scorecard Summary

Australia won by 8 wickets

England Collapse Sets Up Final Day Blitz

The match was defined by dramatic swings in momentum. England started Day Two with a 40-run lead, and at lunch, they appeared to be in a commanding position at 59/1, extending their lead to 99 runs.

However, the afternoon session witnessed an extraordinary English collapse, triggered by Australia’s pacemen, who were forced to lead the attack in the absence of Captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

• Starc and Boland Strike: After lunch, pacemen Scott Boland and Player of the Match Mitchell Starc ripped through the England middle order. England lost four wickets for just 11 runs in a stunning 19-ball collapse, sinking from 65/1 to 76/4.
• Wickets Tumble: Boland claimed Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33), and Harry Brook (0) in quick succession, while Starc removed Joe Root (8) and captain Ben Stokes (2), securing his third career 10-wicket match haul (7-58 in the first innings).
• Final Total: Despite a spirited 50-run resistance from the tailenders Gus Atkinson (37) and Brydon Carse (20), England was bowled out for 164, setting Australia a challenging, yet achievable, target of 205 runs.

Head Takes the Game Away

The target of 205 on a bouncy, pace-friendly Perth track was awkward, but Australia’s makeshift opening strategy turned it into a cakewalk. With regular opener Usman Khawaja sidelined by back stiffness, Travis Head was promoted to open the batting.

Head immediately unleashed a devastating counter-attack, adopting a white-ball aggression that was described as “Travball” in opposition to England’s “Bazball” philosophy.

• Fastest Century: Head smashed his way to a 36-ball fifty and brought up a breathtaking century off just 69 balls, the second-fastest in Ashes history.
• Dominant Partnership: He combined with Marnus Labuschagne, who remained unbeaten on 51 off 49 balls, for a decisive 117-run partnership for the second wicket.
• Result: Head’s swashbuckling 123 off 83 balls, featuring 16 boundaries and four sixes, completely dismantled the English attack. Australia chased down the target in a remarkable 28.2 overs at a run rate of 7.24, securing the eight-wicket win and a 1-0 series lead.

Stand-in Australian captain Steve Smith hailed Head’s knock as “one of the best Ashes innings” he has witnessed, while a shell-shocked England coach Brendon McCullum admitted Head “knocked us off our lengths.” The defeat, the first Ashes Test loss for England in two days since 1921, has prompted immediate soul-searching in the English camp ahead of the Second Test.