First Ashes Test, Perth (day two of five)
England 172: (Brook 52; Stark 7–58) & 164 (Boland 4-33)
Australia 132: (Stokes 5-23) & 205-2 (Manual 123, Labuschagne 51*)
Australia won by eight wickets; leading series 1-0
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England suffered a crushing defeat in the first Ashes Test as Travis Head's roaring century capped Australia's stunning fightback in Perth.
In the first two-day Ashes Test since 1921, Head unleashed England's attack with the second-fastest Ashes hundred of all time, off just 69 balls.
Head's 123 took Australia to a target of 205 in 28.2 overs – just a run of runs. The eight-wicket win gave the home side a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
It was a devastating and quick turnaround from the home side, who had given up a first-innings lead of 40 and were trailing by 105 when England reached 65-1 just after lunch.
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Led by Mitchell Starc's 10-wicket haul, helped by some terrible batting from the visitors and then a masterstroke to move up the order, Australia extended England's pain in this country. The record stands at 14 defeats and two draws in 16 Tests since 2011.
England lost six wickets for 39 runs in 11 overs. A terrible 3-0 from six balls came from Ollie Pope, Harry Brooke and Joe Root, tearing out the guts of the middle order.
Although Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse scored half-centuries, England were bowled out for 164 in 34.4 overs. They lost their last nine wickets for 99 runs.
Australia had to score their highest score of the match to win, but Head played one of the greatest Ashes innings ever.
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England was shocked. The bowlers who had run rampant through the Australian batters just 24 hours below had turned into rabble. The partisan crowd in Perth reveled in the chaos.
The only question was whether the game would go to day three. Head ensured that England would have extra time to showdown before the second Test, which will be played day and night in Brisbane, starting on December 4.
Australia Baseball England suffers a terrible defeat
Where does England go next? They suffered several crushing defeats in Australia. This will be one of the most painful events in history.
Everything was in England's favor: their bowlers gave Australia a scare on the first day, their batters took over on the second morning, and Australia suffered injuries to Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon.
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The way England fell apart was alarming in its speed and haunted the rest of the series. Not only did Australia become the first team to win a Test on this ground, batting second, but they did so from behind in the game and without injured captain Pat Cummins.
There will be a lot of talk about the pitch and the sound of wickets. With 847 balls bowled, it was the shortest Ashes Test completed since 1888.
The fact is that England was “set up” to lose. When their batters tried to attack too early in the afternoon, they let Australia back in. When Head gave England a taste of their own medicine, Stokes' team withered.
Perth should have been England's chance to start the tour with a win. Somehow they will have to regroup for Brisbane and day-night conditions in which Australia are unlikely to ever lose.
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The head makes a ton of ash for centuries
The decision to move his head up will go down in history as one of Ash's greatest tactical moves.
Faced with having to replace Khawaja, as in the first innings, Australia realized that the best plan on a difficult Perth pitch was to attack. Left-hander Head, who has opened in the past, was moved up from No. 5 with license to play his natural game.
The result was sensational and even at this early stage could determine the course of the series. Head moved into England's bowling alley, taking debutant Jake Weatherald along for the ride.
Head leaned back and sent the ball over the outside. One of his four sixes, a shot over Kars' third man, was outrageous. England lost their line as they could not find either the stumps or Head's body.
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Weatherald, who had the game called off after being caught behind Jofra Archer in the seventh over, made a Carse error to complete the first stand on 75, but that did not stop Australia's momentum.
Marnus Labuschagne entered the flow of Head, which could no longer be stopped. He hit Archer over his head, baseball-style, for another high.
Ash's only faster century, 57 balls, came from Adam Gilchrist in this city – over the Swan River at Wake 19 years ago. Given the context, this opportunity may well have surpassed it in quality, and Perth Stadium rightly rose to celebrate Australia's magnificent match-winner.
By the time Head moved Carse to leg, only 13 runs were required. He left to a standing ovation, a memorable image of one of the most incredible Ashes Tests.
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The collapse of England let Australia in
England already knew the game at the start of the day. Although Zak Crawley was athletically caught and bowled by Starc – he was out for the second time in 11 innings and became only the fourth England player to return an Ashes pair – the tourists recovered.
In the quietest period of the match, Ben Duckett and Pope added 65 to put in good performances and nullify the Australian threat. Pandemonium ensued when Duckett pushed a rejuvenated Scott Boland for second slip.
After six deliveries, the Test moved towards Australia with three trips to England battling for the title of worst. Pope drove it wide of Boland's target and Brook hit a terrible shot at the same bowler. In the next over bowled by Starc, Root played with uncharacteristic power, resulting in an interception.
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England barely recovered. Captain Ben Stokes came close to his second slip and made Starc the first Australian bowler since Shane Warne 20 years ago to take 10 wickets in an Ashes Test.
Jamie Smith was dropped for zero by Khawaja and then gloved into the back of Brendan Doggett. England's wicket-keeper was put out in a review that took an interminable amount of time, although it probably reached the right conclusion.
The tourists knew only one method: attack. Atkinson and Carse added 50 in 34 balls, hitting two sixes each. Australia were spooked and scattered their fielders all over the place.
But Carse's attempt at Doggett was caught, Jofra Archer escaped and Atkinson found fine leg. England lost their last three wickets within 10 runs.
