Travis Head hits unbeaten 154 at Trent Bridge as Australia chase down 316 with ease to win first ODI; watch England vs Australia in the second ODI live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30pm on Saturday September 21 (first ball, 11am) or stream with NOW
Friday 20 September 2024 06:07, UK
Travis Head's sensational 154 from 129 deliveries guided Australia to a seven-wicket victory over England in the first ODI at Trent Bridge.
Set a target of 316 to win, Head was in sensational touch with the bat, 14 fours and three sixes bringing up his sixth ODI century, England unable to counter his free-flowing attack.
Ricky Ponting was the player with the highest score for Australia against England in ODIs at Trent Bridge with 126 but Head surpassed that and then some, playing every shot in his repertoire.
And Australia's effort was their highest successful run chase in ODIs at the ground.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, England found a strong partnership between Ben Duckett (96) and Will Jacks (62), the century stand coming from just 86 balls.
However, Marnus Labuschagne (3-39) and Adam Zampa (3-49) dragged Australia back into it, the former dismissing both Duckett and Harry Brook (39) while the latter cleaned up the middle order as they collapsed to 315 all out.
Although Australia lost the early wicket of captain Mitch Marsh (10) from a Matthew Potts (1-33) delivery in the fourth over, it was not long until a key partnership was built, Head and Steve Smith (32) combining for a 50 stand from just 40 deliveries.
Head was his usual fluent self, his 17th ODI half-century coming from exactly 50 balls, with nine fours and a six to boot, as he continued to bother the England bowlers.
England turned to spin and it brought a breakthrough, Smith sending Livingstone's (1-75) delivery straight back to the bowler and leaving Australia on 96-2 after 15.3 overs.
However, with Australia 159-2 at the halfway mark, Head and Cameron Green (32) rotating the strike nicely and already past a 50 partnership from 52 balls, England were floundering and needed answers, both spin and seam being played brilliantly by the visitors on a notoriously high-scoring pitch.
That answer then came from Jacob Bethell (1-20) on his ODI debut, the quicker delivery beating Green and leaving Australia on 171-3 after 26 overs.
Despite the wicket falling, Head continued in fine fashion, his sixth ODI century in 66 matches coming from 92 deliveries with 14 fours and three maximums.
Head's milestone secured and Australia on 200-3 after 32 overs, the opener continued to power and targeted a Brydon Carse (0-42) over to put England under immense pressure, the visitors needing exactly 96 runs from 96 balls.
The runs continued to tick along at the pace required before Labuschagne (77no) decided to get in on the big-hitting action, two sixes and a four coming from just one Livingstone over.
The target then 50 runs from 66 balls as Labuschagne brought up his 12th ODI half-century from 42 deliveries, he and Head continued to pepper the boundary to need just three runs from 37 balls and they secured the win at a canter with a fitting boundary.
With the victory, Australia are now unbeaten in 13 ODIs, dating back to October 2023.
It was a solid start for England as they looked to post a big score for Australia to chase and after six overs they burst into life, Duckett adding four boundaries from one over as he raced to 29 from 21 deliveries.
Although Phil Salt (17) then fell to Ben Dwarshius (1-18) for the debutant's first ODI wicket, a lively partnership was then to come as Jacks came to the crease in the eighth over, putting England on 59-1 at the end of the Powerplay.
Despite being known for their all-out attack, England were playing in a much more controlled aggressive fashion, even Australia's trump card Zampa struggling to make the early breakthrough in his 100th ODI, Duckett's fourth ODI fifty coming in the 18th over as he clattered 50 from 49 deliveries with six fours.
That honour then shortly followed for Jacks in the 22nd over from just 46 balls, three fours and two sixes motoring him to the milestone.
A great catch then turned out to be Zampa and the visitors' breakthrough, Steve Smith holding on to Jacks' club towards extra cover and leaving England on 168-2, that being extended to 170-2 at the halfway mark of their innings.
With Dwarshius injured on his debut, Australia turned to the part-time spinner Labuschagne and the wickets then started to tumble, Duckett sending on straight back into the bowler's path and walking just five shy of another ODI century.
Bizarrely, Brook then fell in the exact same manner as Labuschagne dived for his own delivery once again, putting England on 232-4 with 16 overs to play, England losing those three wickets for just 43 runs.
England were then stuttering with the middle order collapsing, and Jamie Smith (23), Liam Livingstone (13), Brydon Carse (2), Jofra Archer (4), Jacob Bethell (35), and Adil Rashid (0) tried to play with a freedom that gave their wickets away cheaply, the home outfit only able to post 315 despite a strong start.
Player of the Match Travis Head:
"I got lucky and Jofra [Archer] bowled a hell of a spell at the start. Glad I can continue, it's a great wicket here.
"I thought we did a great job to get it to 315, that start was tough and to survive that I thought it was great.
"We played exceptionally well.
"The environment is good and I enjoy playing for the guys. I've worked extremely hard and it's coming off in my playing."
England captain Harry Brook:
"We did everything we said we were going to do.
We went out there and scored quickly and when we came out to bowl, we tried to take wickets but it wasn't our day today, hopefully it can be in the next.
"We wanted a big score, it was difficult in the middle and holding in the pitch.
"We ended up getting a below-par score.
"I felt good out there myself, Jacks played well. It's a long series and hopefully we can carry on that momentum."
Watch England vs Australia in the second ODI live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30pm on Saturday September 21 (first ball, 11am) and stream contract-free with NOW.
