Travis Head scores century as Australia defeat England in Perth Test

As England meekly surrendered in the Perth Stadium cauldron on Saturday, Travis Head’s makeshift opener smacked a 69-ball century to win the first high-speed Ashes Test.

Head slammed 123 in a 205-win innings as the hosts won by eight wickets on day one of the five-match series. Steve Smith and Marshall Labuschagne both had 51 and were on two.

After lunch, the marauding pace pair Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc unleashed a stunning England collapse, leading to Head’s heroics.

With four wickets in as many overs, Boland and Starc left the visitors reeling, but they were 65-1 and extending an ominous lead.

Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33), and Harry Brook (23), all accounted for in 11 balls by a ruthless Boland, and Joe Root was ordered to pack up for eight more with two deliveries later.

England were flailing at 88-6 when Starc removed skipper Ben Stokes (2), and the veteran paceman had only managed to get a 10-wicket haul in his third start, a career-best 7-58.

Before being rolled for 164 at tea, England were only partially rescued by a crucial 50-run stand between Brydon Carse (20) and Gus Atkinson (30).

Usman Khawaja struggled back stiffness when they returned, with Australia signaling their intentions by sending in Head.

Head, who has opened nine times in Test cricket, quickly adapted to his destructive rhythm, scoring big sixes off Mark Wood and Carse.

He scored a half-century in 36 balls, passing 4, 000 Test runs in the process, making it look easy on him by mocking the struggles other batsmen faced on the bouncy track.

Jake Weatherald, the debutant, also launched an attack in an effort to emulate him, but it cost him, who was knocked out for 23 after Ben Duckett off Carse with a mistimed pull shot.

On the way to a 10th Test century, Jofra Archer was sent a six back over the head of an unruffled Head, who kept the pressure on.

He eventually sided with Carse, who had hoped for a bigger hit.

Starc stars

Australia regrouped with a paltry 123-9 lead in their opening innings, adding just nine before Carse removed Lyon for four as England’s 40-run lead was taken.

Stokes won the game’s opener by winning 5-23 off just 36 balls, giving England the first-ever Test win in Australia since the 2010-11 series.

They had all already lost on Starc for 172.

The 35-year-old’s ability to emulate his success in the second innings was stoked by the sold-out Perth Stadium crowd when he removed Zak Crawley in his first over.

Crawley was given a pair by the veteran, who jumped to his left in an incredible athleticism for a memorable caught-and-bowled.

At 59-1, Duckett and Pope made their way to lunch.

When they returned, Scott Boland started to notice his radar.

After Duckett edged to Steve Smith in the slips, Pope beat wicketkeeper Alex Carey, and Brook then performed the same to Khawaja.

Joe Root dragged a thick edge onto his stumps to cap a poor series start after a first-inning duck. However, the relentless Starc could not match him.

After that, Brendan Doggett cleaned Jamie Smith (15), Carse (15), and Archer (15).