November 22, 2025 • 8 mins
Travis Head has delivered a pristine plate of Baz-ball against its creators to lead Australia to a one-nil Ashes cricket series lead over England.
Opening the batting due to Usman Khawaja's injury issues, Head smashed a century in 69 deliveries, smashing 123 off 83 balls to help the hosts to the 205-run target.
Australian sports correspondent Adam Peacock joined Piney to recap the action.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from newstalksb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
First Ashes Cricket Test is over inside two days in Perth.
Makeshift opener Travis Head has cracked the sixth equal fastest
century in Test history to deliver Australia and eight wicket
win over England.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Guards it.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
And gets the hundred short just sixty nine gorns. But
I'm so sweet with Travis Head.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
He was taken to the top and he has absolutely
delivered christ.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Team in one of the great ashes. Hundred's equal third
fastest one hundred cret Australian Test cricket and needing to
score two hundred and five to win the Test match,
the highest score of the Test. Travis Head reached his
one hundred off just sixty nine balls and eventually smashed
one hundred and twenty three of just eighty three deliveries,
(01:06):
sixteen fours and four six's, combining in stands of seventy
five with Jake Weatherall for the first wicket and one
hundred and seventeen with Marnus Lava Shane for the second.
Our regular Saturday Australian correspondent Adam Peacock was in Perth
yesterday and he joins us, now, how should we reflect
on a Test that lasted just one hundred and forty
(01:27):
one overs and finished inside two days?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
It was mad piney, good afternoon. Yeah, I'm back in
Sydney already. Actually look at the red eye flight back
from back from Perth and yeah, because I saw it
was going to be a sunny Sunday in Sydney, so
go out of there quick, smart, but just extraordinary. It's
mad how quickly it all happened, and just a violent
(01:53):
momentum changes that they weren't just subtle ones and you
see in Test cricket they were just like it all
happened in clumps. It was extraordinary.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Travis Heads innings one hundred and twenty three off eighty
three as I say, his century off sixteen nine balls
tell us a bit about hez nings.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah, he was watchful enough by his standards to start
with and then just got in a rhythm like he does.
And we've seen it before. We've seen it in Test
cricket before, we've seen it in World Cup finals before
against India. It was actually the two year anniversary this week.
If he's if he's not in the World Cup Final,
He's come up with something as special to take the
(02:31):
game away from England and in literally an hour once
he once he got on a roll that I was
down there on the boundary rope and you just saw
the the body language of the English. It just like
the life has been sucked out of them, ball by ball,
and by the time they got to the end of
it that I just had no answers. Even Marnus was
(02:52):
getting in in the act and charging and moving around
the crease to fashion shots that he wouldn't ordinarily come
up with. So it was just it was just so weird,
so weird what happened.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
So Travis h was only opening the batting, wasn't he
as a as a bit of a makeshift? He normally
at sort of four or five, doesn't he? But still
an issue around Usmand Kawaja and his injury. They won't
move Trevors hit up as a permanent opener, will they?
That this is just kind of a one off thing.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah, hard to know. They've got options now. So I
didn't know that there's a C eleven game going on
at the moment over there in Perth against England. Lines
and Josh Engliss opened for the CAA eleven. So I
don't know if that was a because Josh Engliss was
in the test squad, if that was a thought that
(03:40):
they might go down that path. If Kawasha doesn't come up,
look Usma Kawaja. Obviously he's had back spasms and the
usual thought is if you go out with something like that,
come back in. You didn't lose your spot if there
was mitigating circumstances about your condition. But he's back spasms
masked a greater problem. So there might be something structurally
wrong with Usman at the moment that he needs to
(04:02):
take care of, and it might ruin out of the
second test. I don't know what they do. I doubt
that they'd put Travis's head up the top unless they
were forced to what there were yesterday. But as we saw,
it's a pretty good fullback.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Option absolutely well. England and their second innings at one
point were sixty five for one with Ben Duckett and
Oli Pope together, so they had a lead of over
one hundred by that stage and still nine second in
things Bukets in hand. Is there just not an inclination
or an ability to not bas ball at anymore? Is
(04:36):
that just the way they play regardless?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Now, Yeah, they were hitting balls that you could leave
and you saw that with Travis Head and Jake Weather
or at the top of the Australian fourth innings. You
didn't have to hit every ball and once you got
the pace of the wicket then you can start to
go after things. Look at the finite thing. Travis Head
was hitting shots that on another day perhaps they got
(05:00):
a three ft to the left. We spoke yesterday the
shot that he played on day one that it was
just a weird shot. He couldn't help himself. Well, a
lot of the shots he played yesterday he couldn't help himself.
Was just this time they were finding the gap. So
that's what you've got to accept with Travor's head. I
think the problem for England is that they've got about
four like that in their top six. I would say
(05:23):
that Joe Root and Ben Stokes and the only two
that can really control themselves when they see something that
they like. So, yeah, yesterday was one of those days
where they just was capitulated by virtue of the fact
that they couldn't show over the patients.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Is there a degree of disappointment that anybody who had
tickets from Day three onwards won't see any cricket.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah. Yeah, I don't like two days. As extraordinary as
yesterday was in the last session. I don't like to
see two day tests. It doesn't help anyone really, you
wanted to see it least three days. I mean Creuve
of Australia. They'll be in the fetal position financially today,
but the fact that they've had the refund, a self
out crowd today, a near sell out on day four
(06:09):
and probably a few tickets on day five as well.
But you run your risk. In the modern day of
I think there's been thirty four Tests this year, nine
of them gone five days, and five of those were
the England India Test series. So elsewhere in the world
only four Tests have gone five days in all of
twenty twenty five, so it's a weird I'll set up
(06:32):
right now, but yeah, I'd like to see a bit
more cricket played please. You mentioned at the top under
two hundred overs in the whole match. That's that's not great,
that's not fantastic. So yeah, hopefully, hopefully it's not the
precursor to something to come throughout the whole series, and.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Just the word on Mitchell Stark, who picked up ten
wickets for the match. I know he was a guest
of yours on your excellent Willow Talk podcast. He just
keeps on keeping on, doesn't he. Well over four hundred wickets. Now,
how many more years would Mitchell Stark have in the
tank and Test matches?
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Well, now that he's given up to twenty internationals, So yeah,
he might go around for another One Day World Cup,
but I think he's going to prioritize playing Test matches,
so I can see him go around for another couple
at least. Yeah, he'll have IPL I can't see him
playing too much more franchise cricket apart from that, So yeah,
(07:27):
a couple more years. I could conceivably see him go
to the Ashes series away in twenty twenty seven. I
can't see why not. So yeah, he's in superb physical
condition at this stage. It's a long summer, it's one
Test match, a very short Test match which helps everyone.
But yeah, he's prepared. It's no surprise as he's come
(07:48):
up with a result like this given how he's prepared.
I saw his preparation all the way through from a
couple of months ago up there in Brisbane where he
just started running again. He needed an ankle thing could
look after. He need to quarter zone and he's just
slowly built, slowly built. Played a bit of white ball
cricket for Australia, played a shield one for New South
Wales and it's turned out perfectly.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
I appreciate you chatting to us on a different day.
Enjoy the rest of you Sunny Sunday in Sydney, Adam.
Thanks for taking our call mate.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
I'm spending lunch time watching Newcastle United in Manchester City.
I know what happens. I just want to relive it.
So yeah, what.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
A twenty four hours for you. Incredible love it mate,
Thanks thanks again. Adam Peacock joining us. He's our regular
Saturday correspondent of course, but checking in today with what
happened at the Ashes yesterday year. Check out the Willow
Talk podcast. He and Brad Hadden are in charge of
that and it's a very very good Listen.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from newstalksb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
First Ashes Cricket Test is over inside two days in Perth.
Makeshift opener Travis Head has cracked the sixth equal fastest
century in Test history to deliver Australia and eight wicket
win over England.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Guards it.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
And gets the hundred short just sixty nine gorns. But
I'm so sweet with Travis Head.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
He was taken to the top and he has absolutely
delivered christ.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Team in one of the great ashes. Hundred's equal third
fastest one hundred cret Australian Test cricket and needing to
score two hundred and five to win the Test match,
the highest score of the Test. Travis Head reached his
one hundred off just sixty nine balls and eventually smashed
one hundred and twenty three of just eighty three deliveries,
(01:06):
sixteen fours and four six's, combining in stands of seventy
five with Jake Weatherall for the first wicket and one
hundred and seventeen with Marnus Lava Shane for the second.
Our regular Saturday Australian correspondent Adam Peacock was in Perth
yesterday and he joins us, now, how should we reflect
on a Test that lasted just one hundred and forty
(01:27):
one overs and finished inside two days?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
It was mad piney, good afternoon. Yeah, I'm back in
Sydney already. Actually look at the red eye flight back
from back from Perth and yeah, because I saw it
was going to be a sunny Sunday in Sydney, so
go out of there quick, smart, but just extraordinary. It's
mad how quickly it all happened, and just a violent
(01:53):
momentum changes that they weren't just subtle ones and you
see in Test cricket they were just like it all
happened in clumps. It was extraordinary.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Travis Heads innings one hundred and twenty three off eighty
three as I say, his century off sixteen nine balls
tell us a bit about hez nings.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah, he was watchful enough by his standards to start
with and then just got in a rhythm like he does.
And we've seen it before. We've seen it in Test
cricket before, we've seen it in World Cup finals before
against India. It was actually the two year anniversary this week.
If he's if he's not in the World Cup Final,
He's come up with something as special to take the
(02:31):
game away from England and in literally an hour once
he once he got on a roll that I was
down there on the boundary rope and you just saw
the the body language of the English. It just like
the life has been sucked out of them, ball by ball,
and by the time they got to the end of
it that I just had no answers. Even Marnus was
(02:52):
getting in in the act and charging and moving around
the crease to fashion shots that he wouldn't ordinarily come
up with. So it was just it was just so weird,
so weird what happened.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
So Travis h was only opening the batting, wasn't he
as a as a bit of a makeshift? He normally
at sort of four or five, doesn't he? But still
an issue around Usmand Kawaja and his injury. They won't
move Trevors hit up as a permanent opener, will they?
That this is just kind of a one off thing.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah, hard to know. They've got options now. So I
didn't know that there's a C eleven game going on
at the moment over there in Perth against England. Lines
and Josh Engliss opened for the CAA eleven. So I
don't know if that was a because Josh Engliss was
in the test squad, if that was a thought that
(03:40):
they might go down that path. If Kawasha doesn't come up,
look Usma Kawaja. Obviously he's had back spasms and the
usual thought is if you go out with something like that,
come back in. You didn't lose your spot if there
was mitigating circumstances about your condition. But he's back spasms
masked a greater problem. So there might be something structurally
wrong with Usman at the moment that he needs to
(04:02):
take care of, and it might ruin out of the
second test. I don't know what they do. I doubt
that they'd put Travis's head up the top unless they
were forced to what there were yesterday. But as we saw,
it's a pretty good fullback.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Option absolutely well. England and their second innings at one
point were sixty five for one with Ben Duckett and
Oli Pope together, so they had a lead of over
one hundred by that stage and still nine second in
things Bukets in hand. Is there just not an inclination
or an ability to not bas ball at anymore? Is
(04:36):
that just the way they play regardless?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Now, Yeah, they were hitting balls that you could leave
and you saw that with Travis Head and Jake Weather
or at the top of the Australian fourth innings. You
didn't have to hit every ball and once you got
the pace of the wicket then you can start to
go after things. Look at the finite thing. Travis Head
was hitting shots that on another day perhaps they got
(05:00):
a three ft to the left. We spoke yesterday the
shot that he played on day one that it was
just a weird shot. He couldn't help himself. Well, a
lot of the shots he played yesterday he couldn't help himself.
Was just this time they were finding the gap. So
that's what you've got to accept with Travor's head. I
think the problem for England is that they've got about
four like that in their top six. I would say
(05:23):
that Joe Root and Ben Stokes and the only two
that can really control themselves when they see something that
they like. So, yeah, yesterday was one of those days
where they just was capitulated by virtue of the fact
that they couldn't show over the patients.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Is there a degree of disappointment that anybody who had
tickets from Day three onwards won't see any cricket.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah. Yeah, I don't like two days. As extraordinary as
yesterday was in the last session. I don't like to
see two day tests. It doesn't help anyone really, you
wanted to see it least three days. I mean Creuve
of Australia. They'll be in the fetal position financially today,
but the fact that they've had the refund, a self
out crowd today, a near sell out on day four
(06:09):
and probably a few tickets on day five as well.
But you run your risk. In the modern day of
I think there's been thirty four Tests this year, nine
of them gone five days, and five of those were
the England India Test series. So elsewhere in the world
only four Tests have gone five days in all of
twenty twenty five, so it's a weird I'll set up
(06:32):
right now, but yeah, I'd like to see a bit
more cricket played please. You mentioned at the top under
two hundred overs in the whole match. That's that's not great,
that's not fantastic. So yeah, hopefully, hopefully it's not the
precursor to something to come throughout the whole series, and.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Just the word on Mitchell Stark, who picked up ten
wickets for the match. I know he was a guest
of yours on your excellent Willow Talk podcast. He just
keeps on keeping on, doesn't he. Well over four hundred wickets. Now,
how many more years would Mitchell Stark have in the
tank and Test matches?
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Well, now that he's given up to twenty internationals, So yeah,
he might go around for another One Day World Cup,
but I think he's going to prioritize playing Test matches,
so I can see him go around for another couple
at least. Yeah, he'll have IPL I can't see him
playing too much more franchise cricket apart from that, So yeah,
(07:27):
a couple more years. I could conceivably see him go
to the Ashes series away in twenty twenty seven. I
can't see why not. So yeah, he's in superb physical
condition at this stage. It's a long summer, it's one
Test match, a very short Test match which helps everyone.
But yeah, he's prepared. It's no surprise as he's come
(07:48):
up with a result like this given how he's prepared.
I saw his preparation all the way through from a
couple of months ago up there in Brisbane where he
just started running again. He needed an ankle thing could
look after. He need to quarter zone and he's just
slowly built, slowly built. Played a bit of white ball
cricket for Australia, played a shield one for New South
Wales and it's turned out perfectly.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
I appreciate you chatting to us on a different day.
Enjoy the rest of you Sunny Sunday in Sydney, Adam.
Thanks for taking our call mate.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
I'm spending lunch time watching Newcastle United in Manchester City.
I know what happens. I just want to relive it.
So yeah, what.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
A twenty four hours for you. Incredible love it mate,
Thanks thanks again. Adam Peacock joining us. He's our regular
Saturday correspondent of course, but checking in today with what
happened at the Ashes yesterday year. Check out the Willow
Talk podcast. He and Brad Hadden are in charge of
that and it's a very very good Listen.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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