Ashes: After more than 100 years! Australia vs England Perth Test scripts history with dramatic finish

Australia sealed an eight-wicket win over England in the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium, completing the result inside two days — the first time an Ashes match has ended this quickly in more than a century. The last instance of a two-day finish between the rivals dates back to 1921 in Nottingham, where Australia had also emerged victorious.

Set 205 for victory, Australia chased the target down with ease, driven by a blistering assault from makeshift opener Travis Head. Sent in ahead of Usman Khawaja, Head tore into England’s attack, racing to a 69-ball hundred and finishing with 123 off 83 deliveries. His knock flattened whatever resistance England had hoped to muster after tea.


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Head’s charge came after England squandered a promising position earlier in the day. At 65 for 1, the visitors appeared set to build a challenging lead, only for Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc to rip through the middle order in a dramatic four-over burst. Boland removed Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in the space of 11 deliveries, while Starc knocked over Joe Root and later Ben Stokes, leaving England in freefall at 88 for 6.

Starc, who had claimed 7 for 58 on the opening day, went on to take three more in the second innings to secure his first Ashes ten-for and only the third ten-wicket haul of his career. His early strike on day two — a diving caught-and-bowled to dismiss Zak Crawley to a pair - ignited the packed Perth crowd and signalled Australia’s intent.

England briefly steadied through a 50-run stand between Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse before being bundled out for 164. Their advantage of 204 looked competitive only until Head walked out and turned the chase into a sprint. He crossed 4,000 Test runs during his innings, hammering sixes off Brydon Carse, Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, and at one point cracking four boundaries in an over from Ben Stokes.

Stokes, who had given England hope with his first-innings 5 for 23, watched on as Head pressed forward. “That’s the challenge of being a captain… you’re going to do what you believe is right,” Stokes had said earlier, reflecting on leadership demands.

Head eventually holed out to Carse, but Marnus Labuschagne (51*) and Steve Smith guided Australia home, Smith finishing the chase with the final runs in a landmark victory to open the five-match series.


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