Travis Head put Australia in charge on day one of their World Test Championship final against India and laid down a marker for the forthcoming Ashes with an sizzling century at the Kia Oval.
Head was the standout performer as the Baggy Greens racked up 327 for three, reeling off 146 not out from just 156 deliveries to put his side in charge of the International Cricket Council’s long-form showpiece.
He arrived at the crease early in the afternoon session with Australia wobbling at 76 for three, India in the ascendancy after picking off David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne either side of lunch.
But he played a gem of an innings, racing out of the blocks and flipping the game on its head as he reached three figures in just 106 deliveries – an innings of daring fluency that left the rest of the top order looking pedestrian by comparison.
Steve Smith did his share of the heavy lifting, but his unbeaten 95 from 227 balls was an anchoring effort in support of Head’s agenda-setting knock.
For Australia, nudging his side one step closer to becoming global champions is a main event in itself, but for watching England fans it was a reminder of just how dangerous the 29-year-old can be.
Head was the breakout star of Australia’s 4-0 Ashes win in 2021/22, taking the Compton-Miller Medal for player of the series after scoring 357 runs at an average of nearly 60.
If there were legitimate questions over whether he could touch similar heights in English conditions, where he averaged just 27 in 2019 and endured a lean spell with Sussex two summers ago, he appeared to answer them in emphatic fashion.
Head finished the day with 22 fours and a six, an effortless uppercut off Mohammed Shami, and reached his first overseas hundred – and sixth overall – shortly after taking a glancing blow to the helmet.
By stumps, India may have been harbouring a couple of distinct regrets, first about winning the toss and choosing to field and second over their omission of spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
The world’s number one bowler was left out in favour of an extra seam option in Shardul Thakur and, although there was no appreciable turn on offer from a first-day pitch, the decision to leave the 36-year-old and his 474 wickets on the sidelines looked misguided after 85 overs of toil.
India started promisingly with the new ball, challenging Australia’s top order during a tough first hour.
Shami kept Warner honest during a fine opening burst with the new ball, working over the left-hander from round the wicket in a way that will not have escaped the attention of his old nemesis Stuart Broad.
Warner survived the examination, with a couple of fortuitous moments along the way, but Usman Khawaja banked a 10-ball duck when he nicked the quicker Mohammed Siraj to Srikar Bharat.
There was an early scare for Labuschagne, who dramatically dropped the bat in pain when Umesh Yadav rapped him on the left thumb with a sharp, lifting delivery.
England fans would be forgiven for having the Ashes on their minds as Labuschagne received treatment and popped a couple of painkillers, but he resumed his innings and even wore another blow to the hand.
Warner, who has set his sights on a January retirement, began to warm up as he clubbed Umesh Yadav for four boundaries in a single over but he departed tamely before lunch when he gloved a leg-side ball from Thakur to the diving Bharat.
An unconvincing stay from Labuschagne ended on 26 early in the afternoon when Shami forced a full delivery through a wayward drive and uprooted off stump. The majority Indian crowd roared their approval but their rising momentum dissipated in the face of Head’s counter-attack.
He scored 28 off his first 20 balls, instantly putting India back on the defensive, and continued to dictate terms as the attack tired.
With Smith grinding his way towards a gentler hundred at the other end, India will need a sharp change of fortune on day two.
Matthews' masterclass 132 powers Windies Women to record-setting seven-wicket victory over Australia at Sydney
A magnificent record-breaking century from Hayley Matthews powered West Indies Women to a historic seven-wicket victory over Australia at Sydney on Monday.
The West Indies Women’s captain smashed 132 from just 64 balls as the West Indies Women, chasing 212 for victory, scored 213-3 from 19.5 overs to level the series at a game apiece. Matthews got help from former captain Stafanie Taylor, whose half-century proved crucial in a 174-run second-wicket partnership that put the Caribbean women on course to what seemed to be an unlikely victory.
No team had ever successfully chased a score over 200 runs against Australia at home.
The 425 runs scored in the match was a world-record for a women’s T20 international.
Australia seemed on course for victory after Ellyse Perry scored 70 from 46 balls and Phoebe Litchfield plundered an unbeaten 52 from just 19, the joint fastest 50 in a T20 international, as the hosts piled up 212-6 from their 20 overs. Georgia Wareham was not out on 32 from 13 as she and Litchfield shared in an Australia T20 record seventh-wicket stand of 66 that propelled the hosts to their challenging total.
Matthews was the best of the West Indies bowlers taking 3-36 from her four overs, taking the wickets of Beth Mooney for 29, the dangerous Tahlia McGrath for four and Annabell Sutherland for 13. Shamilia Connell took 2-35 to support her captain, whose best was yet to come.
West Indies Women lost Shabikia Gajnabi for just one in the third over, paving the way for Stafanie Taylor and Matthews to mount the a stand of 174, the highest partnership for any wicket for the West Indies Women, breaking the previous record of 162 between Matthews and Chadean Nation.
Taylor’s contribution of 59 included 11 fours as she recovered from a slow start to blossom as the partnership grew. When Taylor was bowled by Megan Schutt in the 17th over, Matthews was on 114 and the West Indies needed 28 from the last 18 balls to secure victory.
With the match balanced on a knife’s edge after Annabel Sutherland only conceded three runs from in the 18th over, Matthews swung the match heavily towards in the West Indies’ favour when she struck four consecutive boundaries off the first four balls of the 19th bowled by Jess Jonassen.
The spinner got a measure of revenge when she bowled the West Indies captain behind her legs with the West Indies still needing eight to win. Matthews’ masterclass that included 20 fours and five sixes, is the highest score ever by a West Indian woman surpassing the 112 made by compatriot Deandra Dottin. Her 100 came off just 53 balls.
It was left to Chinelle Henry and Shemaine Campbell who each scored four to take the West Indies Women to a memorable victory.
Matthews, who was winning her seventh consecutive T20I Player of the Match award, credited learning more about her game for her incredible consistency. In those seven matches she scored 452 runs including three 50s and a century at an average of 90.40 and a strike rate of 138.22.
"I think I've learned more about myself and my batting. The areas I want to access. It's been working really well for me. The leadership of the team has made me take a lot more responsibility,” said Matthews who was unbeaten on 99 during the first T20I.
She revealed that the team took the lessons learned from the last game that the West Indies lost by eight wickets to their opponents, stating, “Last game we spoke about learning. We came in with the exact same team for that exact reason. Obviously the last game was a bit tough for us with the ball but we backed the bowlers to come back today and we saw from the start they were right on the mark.”
Matthews also welcomed Taylor’s return to form which helped set up the record chase.
“Batting with Stafanie helps a lot and I think she really got into her groove today. To chase down over 200 is something we've never been able to do let alone against the best team in the world. I'm incredibly proud of this squad and hopefully we can keep moving forward."
Matthews' unbeaten 99 in vain as Australia trounce Windies Women by eight wickets in T20 opener
In a riveting display of talent and skill, Hayley Matthews scored a blazing 99 not out from just 74 deliveries in the first T20 International against Australia at the North Sydney Oval. However, her lone effort couldn't save the day for the West Indies Women, who were soundly defeated by eight wickets.
Matthews took the opposition bowlers to the cleaners, hitting boundaries at will, and missing her well-deserved century by a whisker. Her innings was adorned with 12 fours and 4 sixes, making it one of the most memorable performances of her career.
The West Indies, riding on Matthews' brilliance, posted a defendable total of 147-3 in their 20 overs. However, the opposition seemed unfazed by the challenge and chased down the target in 13.2 overs, losing only two wickets in the process, to finish the game on 149-2.
Skipper Alyssa Healy scored 56 off 29 while Tahlia McGrath finished on 60 not out from 32 deliveries to guide the home team to the opening win.
Although the day belonged to the home team, Matthews won countless hearts with her valiant effort. Head Coach Shane Deitz remarked, "Magnificent innings, she really deserved the hundred. It's one of the best innings I've seen for a long time. She's been brilliant around the group as a leader, batter, and bowler."
Deitz also touched upon the team's overall performance, sharing his perspective on the outcome. He added, "I think we were a bit short as the wicket started playing better in the second half. It was a pretty good total, and maybe if we had taken our chances while fielding, things could have been different."
No surprise that Matthews was the Player of the Match for her 99 not out and bowling figures of 2-0-17-1.
The West Indies Women will now regroup for the second T20I Sunday night, hoping to bounce back stronger.
Middlesex relegated from Division One as Kent survive on dramatic final day
Kent maintained their Division One status in the LV= Insurance County Championship after a dramatic final day of the season which saw Middlesex relegated instead.
Kent had to settle for a draw from their game with Lancashire at Canterbury and then faced an agonising 80-minute wait for news from Trent Bridge, where a Middlesex win over Nottinghamshire would have consigned Jack Leaning’s side to Division Two.
There had looked to be only one outcome as Nottinghamshire, having been set a target of 207 in a generous 58 overs by Middlesex skipper Toby Roland-Jones, progressed to 64 without loss and then 106 for one.
But on a dry, turning pitch on a sunny afternoon, spinners Jayant Yadav, Josh De Caires and Sam Robson – who finished with a career-best four for 46 with his leg spin – reduced the home side to 157 for seven and suddenly a great escape looked on.
However, Matt Montgomery (34 not out) held the tail together to drag Nottinghamshire across the line at eight down, with 16 balls to spare, and left Kent celebrating survival despite being frustrated by dogged Lancashire resistance.
Third-placed Hampshire became just the second team to beat Surrey across their back-to-back title-winning campaigns.
Only Lancashire had beaten Surrey in 2022 and 2023 in red-ball cricket, winning once in either campaign.
But Liam Dawson took his season tally to 49 wickets by claiming two of the four scalps needed to secure victory at the Ageas Bowl, with Surrey only scoring 20 of the 73 required to lose by 52 runs before 11am.
Despite the defeat, Surrey were presented with the Division One trophy by England and Wales Cricket Board chair Richard Thompson.
Warwickshire and Somerset’s rain-hit clash ended in an expected draw.
The Division One contest was officially abandoned just after lunch on the final day when, with the sun shining, the umpires ruled that areas of the field remained unsafe.
Somerset had been 90 for two in the second innings, a lead of 32. The result saw Warwickshire end the campaign in fourth with Somerset seventh.
In Division Two, Shan Masood’s brilliant 123 helped Yorkshire chase down a final-day target of 360 to beat promoted Worcestershire at Headingley and avoid finishing bottom for only the second time in their history.
Yorkshire’s fourth-highest successful run chase was achieved with relative comfort in the end, with six wickets in hand and three overs of the allotted 70 remaining.
With the game meandering ahead of day four, both sides opted to contrive a finish, with Yorkshire risking the draw which would lift them off the bottom of Division Two.
As it was, they were able to achieve that by going for broke as captain Masood hit 15 fours in 131 balls.
Sussex took just 45 minutes to complete a 339-run victory that condemned Gloucestershire to a winless season and bottom spot.
The hosts took only 9.5 overs to achieve a third victory of the campaign after Gloucestershire resumed on 113 for five, needing another 400 runs.
Durham sealed an emphatic victory over Leicestershire by an innings and 141 runs to end their title-winning campaign on a high.
The home side required 10 wickets to secure their seventh victory of the campaign at Seat Unique Riverside and took only 42.5 overs to tear through the Leicestershire batting line-up.
The Durham bowlers shared the wickets around as Vishwa Fernando and Matt Parkinson claimed three apiece, while Matthew Potts, Ben Raine and Jonathan Bushnell also struck.
The hosts took 24 points from the contest, ending the term with a mammoth total of 233.
Leus Du Plooy’s last game for Derbyshire ended in a draw despite another Luis Reece century as their side came up four wickets short after setting Glamorgan a target of 384 to win on the final day in 70 overs.
Derbyshire had eight fielders around the bat in the chase for wickets but eventually called time one over short at 5.37pm as the game petered out into a draw with Glamorgan on 135 for six. Derbyshire finished sixth in the table and Glamorgan fifth.
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