Overview
- Australia chased 205 to win by eight wickets at Perth Stadium, finishing 205-2 as Travis Head blasted 123 off 83 balls and Marnus Labuschagne contributed an unbeaten 51.
- Mitchell Starc claimed 10 wickets in the match, including a career-best 7-58 in England’s first innings and 3-55 in the second, and pulled off a diving return catch to remove Zak Crawley for a pair.
- England’s second innings collapsed from 59-1 at lunch to 164 all out under a withering spell from Scott Boland (4-33) and debutant Brendan Doggett (3-51), with Joe Root and Ben Stokes among Starc’s victims.
- A frenetic day one produced 19 wickets as England made 172 and Australia 132, with Ben Stokes taking 5-23 and support from Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer to give England a 40-run first-innings lead.
- Australia were missing Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood and used Head to open with Usman Khawaja managing back spasms; the result puts Australia 1-0 up and keeps them atop the WTC table as England sit sixth before the day-night Gabba Test starting December 4.