Australian batter Travis Head scored an Ashes century off just 85 balls on Day 2 of the first Test at the Gabba on Thursday (December 3) to extend his team’s lead to 185. In the very next over after completing his century, Head was hit on the glove by a nasty and quick beamer from England paceman Mark Wood which deflected on to his chin.
Wood immediately went up to Head to apologise to Head for the beamer, which was bowled at over 136kmph. Thankfully, Head wasn’t injured much by the incident and recovered after some treatment from the physio.
The 27-year-old smashed his third Test century in 20 games with two sixes and 12 fours after England had reduced to home side to 236/6 in the session after tea. But Head took away all the initiative, first in the company of skipper Pat Cummins and then with Mitchell Starc. Australia ended Day 2 on 343/7 with Head on 112 and Starc on 10 for an overall lead of 196 runs at stumps on Day 2.
Watch highlights of Travis Head’s whirlwind century here…
Off only 85 balls! #OhWhatAFeeling
Take a bow, Travis Head! #Ashes | @Toyota_Aus pic.twitter.com/QKxHyl4vnV
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 9, 2021
Earlier, Australian opener David Warner’s luck finally ran out, immediately after lunch on Day of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba on Thursday (December 9). Warner was just six short of a hundred when he chipped Ollie Robinson’s slower delivery to Ben Stokes at mid-off in the second over of the final session.
Robinson, who was the pick of the England bowlers on Day 2, was immediately on a hat-trick as Australia all-rounder Cameron Green shouldered arms off the first ball he faced to be bowled for a first-ball duck. Debutant Alex Carey managed to keep out Robinson’s hat-trick delivery.
Joe Root’s England are firmly back in the contest now with the home side at 196/5 in reply to the visitors’ 147 in the first innings.
Warner marched to the brink of a century after being reprieved three times in the field but England grabbed late wickets to leave Australia 193/3 at tea on day two of the opening Ashes Test on Thursday. Spinner Jack Leach removed Marnus Labuschagne for 74 and paceman Mark Wood dismissed Steve Smith for 12 just before the break, but Australia`s batsmen came off with a 46-run lead over England`s paltry first innings 147.
Warner was 94 not out and Travis Head yet to score on a sweltering afternoon at the Gabba. Reprieved by a Stokes no-ball when bowled for 17 in the morning, Warner`s luck looked like it would never run out as he was dropped in the slips on 48 in the first over after lunch and survived a run out chance when on 60.
Warner nicked paceman Ollie Robinson to second slip where Rory Burns, who was bowled first ball by Mitchell Starc on day one, put down a simple catch at waist height just to his left. Warner later went for a suicidal single after hitting Wood straight to Haseeb Hameed at bat pad, then slipped over and dropped his bat as he tried to get back to his crease.
Hameed, who fumbled the ball before gathering it, still had ample time to aim but his hurried throw flew wide of the stumps. Warner and Labuschagne marched on to a 156-run partnership, taking to Leach with gusto.
Labuschagne roared towards a century but after smashing Leach for a six he was out the next ball, slashing the spinner straight to Wood at point. Stokes’ no-ball stoked controversy as TV pictures showed he had overstepped the return crease on three successive deliveries before the wicket ball.
However, the all-rounder was unable to correct his run-up because none of them were called. Broadcasters later reported that the equipment used by the third umpire to check the front foot had broken down.
(with Reuters inputs)
