England suffered one of their most bruising defeats in recent memory as Australia surged to an eight-wicket victory in Perth, completing the first two-day Ashes Test since 1921. What began as a promising position for Ben Stokes’ side unraveled with astonishing speed, swept away by Travis Head’s blistering century and Mitchell Starc’s exceptional bowling display.
Australia, needing 205 for victory, made light work of the chase. Australia achieved the target in a mere 28.2 overs. Head’s 123 from 71 balls, featuring the second-fastest Ashes hundred in history, turned what looked like a tense contest into a rout. His innings, brutal and fearless, left England dazed and the Perth crowd roaring.
England had taken a 40-run first-inning lead and strengthened their grip early on the second afternoon when they moved to 65-1. Australia, already hampered by injuries to Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon, appeared vulnerable. Instead, England’s batting collapsed under pressure. Six wickets tumbled to 39 runs, and the tourists were dismissed for 164, losing their last nine wickets for 99.
The pivotal moment occurred during a tumultuous six-ball spell, resulting in the dismissals of Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, and Joe Root due to misjudged strokes. Root’s dismissal, bowled by Starc, encapsulated England’s slide. Starc went on to claim a 10-wicket match haul, the first Australian to do so since Shane Warne in 2005, puncturing England’s hopes of setting a daunting target.
From there, Australia seized control. Their decision to promote Head to open in Khawaja’s absence proved a masterstroke. The left-hander launched into England’s seamers. Backing away to carve through the off side, or muscling the ball back over the bowler’s head, Head overwhelmed an England attack that had dominated only the day before.
His partnership with debutant Jake Weatherald, who made a steady contribution before falling for 30, laid the perfect foundation.
Marcus Labuschagne joined the mayhem with characteristic composure, allowing Head to dictate the tempo. England’s bowling became ragged, resulting in missed opportunities to apply pressure. It was cricket played at a pace England could neither match nor contain.
By the time Head holed out with just 13 runs required, the contest was already over. Perth Stadium rose to salute a remarkable inning, one that may define the 2025 Ashes series. His knock, coming in a tricky chase on a pitch offering sideways movement and inconsistent bounce, rivaled Adam Gilchrist’s famous 57-ball hundred at the WACA in 2006.
England now faces a daunting task. Their record in Australia has been grim for more than a decade, with 14 defeats and two draws in 16 tests since 2001. The collapse also exposed concerns about their middle order, which crumbled immediately after the dismissal of Ben Duckett, who had batted calmly in partnership with Pope before the chaos set in.
England counterpunched through Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse, whose 50-run stand brought a flicker of resistance. Both cleared the ropes and forced Australia to scatter fielders to the boundary. But the innings folded quickly.
Australia’s chase, in contrast, was a display of clarity and controlled aggression. With captain Pat Cummins absent due to injury, Australia leaned on their senior players, and they delivered emphatically.
England must regroup quickly before the second Test in Brisbane on the 4th, a day-night match at a venue where Australia rarely falters.
