Ashes: Head, Starc annihilate England, propel Australia to first Test win in Perth within 2 days
The Ashes 2025-26 kicked off with Australia and England taking on each other at the Perth Stadium. The two sides locked horns in the first Test from November 21. The clash saw England coming in to bat first after winning the toss, and where the side hoped for a good showing with the bat, the side was left completely bamboozled by Mitchell Starc.
Zak Crawley opened the innings with a duck, whereas Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope scored 21 and 46 runs, respectively. Furthermore, Harry Brook scored 52 runs in 61 deliveries, whereas Jamie Smith added 33 runs to the board as England posted a total of 172 runs in the first innings.
Mitchell Starc was the best performer for Australia in the first innings, with seven wickets to his name. Brendan Doggett took two wickets, with Cameron Green striking once as well.
Where the Aussies hoped for a good showing with the bat, the side was dismantled through a masterclass bowling performance by England skipper Ben Stokes. Taking five wickets in the first innings, the Aussies were limited to 132 runs, with Alex Carey’s 26-run knock being the side’s highest score.
Travis Head turns up in Perth to help Australia win in Perth
Coming out to bat with a lead of 40 runs in the second innings, England hoped for an improved performance with the bat. The Aussie pace attack rendered England’s batting attack useless. Scott Boland took three wickets, with Mitchell Starc and Brendan Doggett striking thrice each as England scored 164 runs, giving Australia a target of 205 runs.
Aiming to chase down the target, it was the Travis Head show for Australia. Opening the innings, Head amassed 123 runs in 83 deliveries, with Marnus Labuschagne scoring 51 as Australia defeated England by eight wickets, taking the lead in the series.
Brief Scores: England 172 (Harry Brook 52; Mitchell Starc 7-58) &; 164 (Gus Atkinson 37; Scott Boland 4-33) lost to Australia 132 (Alex Carey 26; Ben Stokes 5-23) & 205/2 (Travis Head 123; Brydon Carse 2-44) by eight wickets.
