Adelaide, Dec 19: Travis Head took off his helmet and gloves, dropped to his knees and planted a kiss on the pitch after posting a century in a fourth consecutive test on his home ground at the Adelaide Oval.
It was trademark “Travball” on Day 3 of the third Ashes cricket test.
The freewheeling Australia batter had a huge reprieve on 99 when he slashed at a Jofra Archer delivery and was dropped by Harry Brook at gully. That was after he fended a Joe Root tweaker and took off for a quick single, only to be sent back by batting partner Alex Carey.
Head faced eight balls without scoring while on 99, then went for broke and advanced down the pitch and drove the ball back over Root’s head to the long-on boundary to move to 103.
It was his 11th century in 63 tests, and second in five innings since being promoted from No. 5 to open the innings in Perth. That’s where his match-winning innings sealed Australia’s eight-wicket win to open the series.
By stumps Friday, Head was unbeaten on 142 and his unbroken partnership with fellow South Australian Carey (52) was 122. Australia was 271-4, with a lead of 356.Head said his new-look celebration of the century was designed to get a laugh out of his teammates.
“I got the rise out of the dressing room that I expected,” he said in comments published by Fox Sports. He added, more seriously, that his hometown “wicket has looked after me over the last few years.
“I didn’t think I’d get one, so to get four (centuries at the Adelaide Oval) is not too bad. I felt alright.” Brook took two excellent catches in the slips to remove Marnus Labuschagne (13) and Cameron Green (7) off Josh Tongue’s bowling, but the one he missed against Head was costly.
The Australians went in to bat after dismissing England for 286 just before lunch, after Ben Stokes and Archer helped cut the first-innings margin to 85 with a record 106-run ninth-wicket stand. (AP)
