Australia claim dominant eight-wicket victory in first Ashes Test
Perth: Australia sealed a commanding eight-wicket victory over England in the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium on November 22, 2025, wrapping up the match inside just two days in a dramatic start to the 2025-26 series.
Travis Head's Match-Winning Century
Travis Head produced a spectacular 123 off 83 balls to power Australia to their 205-run target, recording the second-fastest century in Ashes history at just 69 deliveries. After Usman Khawaja was forced off the field with back spasms, Head was promoted to open alongside debutant Jake Weatherald and immediately seized the initiative.
The South Australian left-hander's blistering knock featured multiple boundaries and maximums as he dismantled England's bowling attack with an aggressive approach that turned the chase into a one-sided affair. His innings helped Australia race to victory, with Marnus Labuschagne contributing a crucial half-century of 51 off 49 balls. Steve Smith struck the winning runs as Australia reached 205/2 in just 28.2 overs.
Mitchell Starc's Historic Ten-Wicket Haul
Mitchell Starc delivered a devastating performance across both innings, claiming 10 wickets for 113 runs to become the first Australian fast bowler to achieve a ten-wicket haul in an Ashes Test in 35 years. His figures of 7/58 in England's first innings and 3/55 in the second were instrumental in restricting the visitors to modest totals of 172 and 164.
Starc struck in the very first over of the series, dismissing Zak Crawley for a duck, and maintained his dominance throughout the match. His dismissal of England captain Ben Stokes for his tenth wicket marked the 11th time he has removed Stokes in Test cricket, underlining his dominance over the England skipper. The performance also saw Starc reach 200 wickets in the World Test Championship, joining Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins in that exclusive club.
England's Repeated Collapses
England suffered two disastrous batting collapses that cost them the match. After being bowled out for 172 in their first innings, they took a 40-run lead by dismissing Australia for 132, with Ben Stokes claiming 5/23 in a brilliant spell. However, England's second innings unravelled spectacularly as they collapsed from 65/1 to 164 all out.
Scott Boland found his rhythm in the second innings, taking 4/33 after a wicketless first outing. His spell triggered a collapse that saw England lose nine wickets in the afternoon session, including the crucial wickets of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, and Joe Root in quick succession. England lost six wickets for just 39 runs in 11 overs, with a particularly damaging sequence seeing them lose three wickets for no runs in six balls.
Zak Crawley endured a nightmare match, becoming only the fourth England opener to record a pair in the Ashes after being dismissed for consecutive ducks. Gus Atkinson top-scored with 37, adding a 50-run partnership with Brydon Carse for the eighth wicket, but it proved insufficient.
Match Summary
The Perth Test was a bowler-dominated affair on a fast, bouncy pitch with 19 wickets falling on the opening day alone. Australia now lead the five-match series 1-0, with the second Test scheduled to begin at The Gabba in Brisbane on December 4, 2025. The decisive victory marks Australia's continued dominance on home soil, where they remain unbeaten in Ashes Tests for 15 consecutive matches.