Travis Head in action. (AP photo)Travis Head’s 83-ball 123 will stand as one of the iconic centuries, not just in the Ashes but overall in Test cricket too. It was not just the strike rate the cicumstances under which the knock was delivered. On a pitch that was seaming around and in a position that Head (Opening) has not played too often in his Test career.
But against all the odds, Head for once came into the white-ball mode against the red-ball, unleashing the carnage, bazballing the bazballers to help Australia take a 1-0 lead. His innings might have left a smile on the faces of many Aussie supporters; a couple of them were with a bittersweet emotion at the end of it. One of them was a certain fan called Alex Earle, who is based in Germany, who traveled all the way to Perth to watch Day 3’s action with his father, Bruce, who is a first-grade cricketer based in Sydney had to alter plans for Sunday.
The duo got into the pub minutes away from the Optus Stadium on Day 2 as England had nine wickets in hand post-lunch session, and as the afternoon went they saw England fall like nine pins, and the target given by England melted away at the heat of Head’s scorching knock. “I’ll be heading back to Germany without a ball of Test cricket being seen,” Alex said, speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald. “We probably spent our refund at the pub last night. We did watch the win, so that was calculated into the number of beers we were buying last night as Heady was batting.
“To watch Australia win at an Irish pub about five minutes from Optus Stadium, being Sydney boys, was weird. We could see the stadium from the window of the pub.”
“It didn’t feel like we were watching Test cricket,” Bruce said. “It was two days of mayhem. It’s a good story to tell. “Happy for Australia, but disappointed as cricket supporters. It’s extraordinary that a Test can finish in two days. It really took us by surprise. We thought we were safe with day three tickets.
“We were just watching it happen in front of our eyes. Even with Australia chasing 205, we still thought there might be 100 to get on day three. You’re happy it’s happening as an Aussie, but we thought, ‘jeez, slow down’. “The game has changed a bit. I’m a traditionalist. We’ll probably aim for day two from here.”
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