Australia Vs England Highlights, 1st Ashes Test, Day 2: Travis Head’s Century Seals Eight-Wicket Win For Aussies

Good morning, cricket fans! This is the start of our live blog for the second day of the first Ashes Test in Perth. Stay tuned for live updates.

The players walk out to the middle under a cloudy Perth sky, the sun staying hidden for now. Mark Wood has the new ball and is set to kick off Day 2, with Brendan Doggett about to face his first delivery in Test cricket. Here we go. Wood steams in for the first ball of the morning, 140.8kph, a loosener outside off, and Doggett calmly lets it sail through.

England finally cracked it open after 6.2 overs this morning, and it didn’t come with any real drama, just 9 runs added before the last man folded. Stokes tossed the new day to Wood and Atkinson, but both kept it short and harmless, letting the batters ease along without a flutter.

Then came Brydon Carse, pitched one up straightaway, and bang, edge found, innings done. A tidy 40-run lead in the bank on this kind of pitch feels like a small cushion turning into a big advantage.

And here’s how it ended: Carse goes full, enticing Lyon into the drive, just a whisper of movement, and the outside edge sails neatly to Duckett in the gully. Simple, sharp, job finished. England’s innings coming up, stay close.

Starc storms in for the first over of the innings, and Crawley’s nightmare rolls on. Another first-over strike, another duck, another sharp reminder that Starc loves this stage. Crawley tries to ride a good-length ball on off, but the extra bounce bites into the splice and lobs it straight back down the pitch.

Starc, already moving across in his follow-through, throws out his left hand and pulls off a stunning low catch, clean as you like, confirmed after a long, angle-heavy replay check from the third umpire. Pair for Crawley, momentum for Australia, and Perth suddenly feels a lot louder.

Starc comes charging in again, and this one absolutely leaps! Back of a length at 140 clicks, right in that teasing channel, and it rears up viciously. Pope is totally caught out by the bounce, he just fends instinctively, the ball thuds into the gloves, then ricochets off his right thumb and onto the elbow.

Doggett keeps probing away at Duckett, mixing it up nicely. First the full ball around off, Duckett leans in, meets it early, and knocks it straight back to the bowler with that calm, tidy assurance he carries when he’s settled.

Drama at Perth, Duckett’s been given LBW and immediately turns to Pope. Quick chat, a nod, and up goes the review. Height has to be the big question here.

It’s that awkward good-length ball that seams away late, and Duckett gets stuck on the crease, playing down the wrong line. It thumps him above the knee roll on the back leg, which already feels borderline. Snicko rolls through, nothing. Big gap between bat and ball, so we’re straight to ball-tracking.

England have made the morning theirs. Just 6.2 overs to finish Australia off, only 9 added, and a strong 99-run lead secured on a pitch that’s been tricky all match. Starc opened with chaos again, Crawley gone for another duck via a sharp return catch, but Boland couldn’t back him up, drifting off target. Since then, Duckett and Pope have steadied things, ticking the score along and keeping England firmly on top.

England’s innings hit a sharp jolt! Starc back on his game and Root can’t read him, dragged on and bowled in a flash. Australia roar back into the contest as their premier pacer strikes again, claiming Root for just 8 off 11 balls, his second scalp of the Test.

England’s second session started in a flash, wickets tumbling like dominoes. Boland finally found his rhythm, claiming Pope with a poor drive that carried to Carey, then Brook fell for a duck trying the same expansive shot, Khawaja taking the catch. Starc joined the party, dragging on Root for just 8, his second of the Test. In a blink, England went from 65/1 to 76/4, and Australia are right back in the contest with the lead trimmed to 116.

Starc isn’t done yet, he strikes again! Stokes goes chasing one and edges it straight to Smith, giving Starc his 10th wicket of the match. The pacer can’t hide his grin, and Australia’s momentum is roaring.

Boland bowls full on the stumps, and Brydon Carse isn’t holding back, he strides down the track and smashes it straight over the bowler’s head. That’s a massive, clean SIX, flying all the way with authority.

Starc tries the short ball, but Atkinson isn’t having it! He swivels inside the line, swings hard, and the ball just sails over fine-leg for a SIX. Australia’s short-ball plan is getting a tough test here.

Doggett gets the breakthrough and England are teetering, Jofra Archer tries to muscle a short ball outside off but can’t get on top of it. He mistimes the pull straight to Smith at mid-wicket, who settles it neatly with two hands. That’s Doggett’s third of the innings, Archer gone for 5 off 3, and England are now nine down, just the last man standing.

Tea at Perth saw England reeling at 9/105, but the drama didn’t stop there, they’ve now been all out for 164. A brilliant session from Australia’s bowlers, with Boland and Starc leading the charge, turned a strong position into a collapse, leaving England well short on runs.

England’s Jamie Smith was involved in a controversial DRS decision in the second innings at Perth. He missed a delivery from Brendan Doggett and was initially given not out by umpire Nitin Menon. Australia reviewed, and the third umpire, Saikat Sharfuddoula, ruled Smith out after Real Time Snicko showed a spike, though it appeared after the ball passed the bat. The decision sparked boos from England fans as Smith walked off.

Welcome back! Time for the chase, England are in a quick huddle before sending out the openers. Head and Weatherald take their positions at the crease, with Duckett, Brook, and a few others offering last-minute words of encouragement. Jofra Archer is ready to lead the attack over the wicket, three slips, a gully, and a short-leg in place. Head takes strike, and Australia’s new-ball plan is about to be tested.

Mark Wood fires one down, and Head is already on the charge! The short ball drifts across, offering perfect width, and Head punishes it with a crisp shot behind square on the off-side. FOUR runs, and the Aussie opener is setting the tone with some fearless counterattacking cricket.

Wicket blows for Australia! Brydon Carse breaks the opening stand, giving England a big boost. Weatherald tried to whip a back-of-a-length ball into the leg side, but the bat face was closed and the leading edge popped straight up. Duckett was there at cover to take the simple catch. Weatherald goes for 23 off 34, and the momentum swings slightly back to England.

Stokes keeps probing at Head, first with a very full 133.1 kph delivery outside off, Head drags it off the inner half to mid-on, no run. A few overs later, Stokes tempts him again with a full 135.2 kph delivery outside off; Head goes after it with a big drive but almost edges it.

England are keeping the pressure on, testing the Aussie opener’s patience and technique.

Travis Head reaches a sensational 100* off just 69 balls, marking the second-fastest century in Ashes history, joint fastest by an opener in all Tests, and the quickest ever in a fourth-innings chase.

Dominating from the start, he carved through Perth Stadium with authority, raising his helmet and soaking in the roar of the crowd. A masterclass in counterattacking cricket, this innings will be remembered as a crisis-busting knock in a high-stakes chase.

Australia have completely dominated the Ashes 1st Test, wrapping up a rare two-day finish with an emphatic eight-wicket win. England never got comfortable, posting 172 and 164, while Australia chased down 205/2, led by Travis Head’s brilliant century. Starc and Boland tore through the English lineup, and Head’s counterattacking knock ensured the visitors never looked in trouble, stamping Australia’s authority from start to finish.

That’s a wrap from Perth! What a whirlwind of a Test to kick off the Ashes. We’ll be back with more live blogs soon, until then, bye bye.