Travis Head needed only seven balls to get his first boundary in his name—a crisp off-drive against Jofra Archer—in the first T20I in Southampton. And once that steam lost, he was unstoppable. Starting off-cumbersome with just 3 runs from 6 balls, Head surged to 15 off 10 balls, hitting Archer for three fours in the third over.
Sam Curran Leaks 30 Runs In An Over
It was, however, his attack on Sam Curran that was the most brutal. Head belted Curran for three fours and three sixes, amassing 30 runs in the fifth over alone. This over began with a boundary over mid-on when Curran’s slower ball was badly pitched. The very next delivery was another short one from Curran. This was powerfully cut through the offside by Head.
Travis Head Goes Berserk, Scores 50 In 19 Balls
Just like in the last T20I against Scotland, when he had broken several records, the left-hander was unstoppable. His first six of the match was a short-arm pull over deep square leg off the third ball of the over. Curran tried to make amends by going short, but Head simply could not be stopped. The next ball was a full delivery that was bludgeoned over covers as he hoisted the ball into the stands for a stunning six. The over was duly finished off with Head’s brute force as another full ball pitched around the fifth stump was whipped for a one-bounce four over the covers.
“I’d love to go out and whack it every time,” said Head, who was Australia’s star in its victory in last year’s 50-over World Cup final. “I know that’s not going to be the case every time, but I’m in a nice bit of form at the moment and I want to continue that. I’m taking my chances.”
4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, Travis Head Thrashes Sam Curran In Single Over- WATCH
💥 Travis Head smashes 30 runs off a Sam Curran over to power #Australia to victory over England 🏏💪
— John Casey (@JohnCasey2880) September 11, 2024
More @7NewsAdelaide 11:30am-4pm-6pm pic.twitter.com/SOqcYv008w
Head reached his half-century in just 19 balls and ended with a dynamic 59 including eight fours and four sixes. His explosive innings set the tone for a fast Australian start.
Phil Salt Praise Head
“Heady came out swinging in the powerplay and gave them a head start but we dragged it back quite nicely in the middle,” Salt said.
“He can do that,” he added about Head. “He’s done that all over the place for a couple of years now … every ball is an event in its own right.”
England Vs Australia, 1st T20I
Australia’s more experienced lineup proved too strong for the hosts, courtesy of a solid 86-run opening stand between Matthew Short and Travis Head, who made 41 off 26 balls. The partnership got off to a robust foundation, before England’s revamped T20I squad got a breakthrough when Head top-edged a delivery from Saqib Mahmood. This was followed by the introduction of the spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone, which pegged the scoring back, and wickets fell in a heap as Australia lost its last eight batsmen for 61 runs. From a strong start at 86/1 in the powerplay and 118/2 after 10 overs, Australia struggled to a modest total of 179.
The chase for the English got off to the worst possible start as they folded to 52-4, with the injured skipper Jos Buttler watching from the sidelines, while newcomers Jordan Cox and Jacob Bethell were included. A 54-run stand between Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran gave some glimmer of hope for England as Liam made 37 and Sam 18. Three quick wickets saw them slip to 113-7 before they finished all out for 151 with four balls to go.
Australia’s fielding was outstanding, the highlight undoubtedly of Tim David with a diving catch to remove Cox which was absolutely agile and precise.
