Travis Head produced a breathtaking counterpunch in Perth, racing to a century in just 69 balls as Australia chased 205 to win. The left-hander’s 100 is the second-fastest century in Ashes history and rewrote a 127-year-old mark — surpassing Joe Darling’s 85-ball fourth-innings opener’s hundred from 1898.
Head was electric from the outset, reaching fifty in 36 deliveries and punishing anything short or loose. By the time he reached three figures, he had struck 12 fours and four sixes, turning a tense chase into a one-man onslaught and lifting Australia’s momentum when it mattered most.
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Thrown the new ball, place-of-Usman Khawaja, Head’s innings was a clinic in modern, aggressive Test finishing: calculated risk, brutal execution, and constant strike rotation. His assault not only set the tone for the chase but also exposed cracks in an England attack that had shown promise earlier in the match.
100 off just 69 balls! Travis Head, what an innings! #Ashes | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/oiV1QEneYp
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 22, 2025
| PLAYER | TEAM | BALLS | AGAINST | VENUE | YEAR |
| Adam Gilchrist | Australia | 57 | England | Perth (WACA) | 2006 |
| Travis Head | Australia | 69 | England | Perth (Optus) | 2025 |
| Gilbert Jessop | England | 76 | Australia | The Oval | 1982 |
| Joe Darling | Australia | 85 | England | Sydney | 1898 |
| Travis Head | Australia | 85 | England | Brisbane | 2021 |
| Ian Botham | England | 86 | Australia | Manchester | 1981 |
| Ian Botham | England | 87 | Australia | Leeds | 1981 |
| Ray Lindwall | Australia | 88 | England | Melbourne | 1947 |
| Zak Crawley | England | 93 | Australia | Manchester | 2023 |
| Adam Gilchrist | Australia | 94 | England | Sydney | 2003 |
| Victor Trumper | Australia | 95 | England | Manchester | 1902 |
| Victor Trumper | Australia | 100 | England | Sydney | 1903 |
In Ashes lore, Adam Gilchrist still owns the outright fastest Ashes hundred — 57 balls at the WACA in 2006 — while the all-time Test record remains Brendon McCullum’s 54-ball blitz. Viv Richards’ 56-ball century against England stands as the quickest by a batter versus England.
Head’s knock carried historical weight beyond the raw numbers. It became the quickest fourth-innings century by an opener in the long Australia–England rivalry and challenged conventional thinking about how to approach a run chase in the fourth innings of a Test.
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For Australia, Head’s blitz not only secured a vital advantage in Perth but also provided a vivid template for positive, fearless fourth-innings batting — an innings other teams will study closely. The Optus Stadium crowd erupted at each boundary, atmosphere electric as Head delivered a performance that will lift Australia’s morale and reshape talk on fourth-innings intent.
