In a stunning and historic collapse, England's cricketers have suffered a humiliating eight-wicket defeat to Australia inside just two days in the first Ashes Test in Perth. This marks the first time in 104 years that an Ashes Test has been wrapped up so swiftly, delivering a potentially devastating psychological blow to the touring side.
A Batting Collapse and a Modest Target
Resuming on day two at 59 for one, and holding a lead of 105 runs, England appeared to be in a competitive position. However, their innings unravelled dramatically as they were skittled for 164 all out. The lower order provided some late resistance, but it was Scott Boland who spearheaded the Australian attack, finishing with impressive figures of four for 33.
This left Australia needing 205 runs to win, the highest total of the match on a pitch that had seen wickets fall regularly. Despite the challenging conditions, the target proved to be nowhere near enough.
Travis Head's Devastating Assault
Any English hopes were vaporised by an extraordinary display of power hitting from opener Travis Head. Stepping in for the absent Usman Khawaja, Head played a breathtaking innings, carving his way to a century from just 69 balls.
He ultimately finished with 123 runs from 83 deliveries, single-handedly demolishing England's bowling attack and leading Australia to victory in just 28.2 overs. His performance was so dominant that he walked off to a standing ovation with only 13 runs required, having sealed a famous win.
Shellshocked Captains and Series Implications
England captain Ben Stokes admitted his team was "shellshocked" by the rapid turn of events. He acknowledged the difficulty of settling on bowling plans when faced with such an onslaught, stating to the BBC's Test Match Special that the batters who found success were the ones who were "brave enough to face the ball."
For Australia, the victory was set up by a complete team performance. Mitchell Starc built on his seven-wicket haul from the first day to claim a 10-wicket match, while Head's explosive knock ensured a 1-0 series lead for the hosts. This crushing defeat, the first two-day Ashes Test since 1921, leaves England with a monumental task to recover as the series continues.
