Travis Head goes ballistic as Australia topple England in T20 opener

Australian cricketer Travis Head delivered a nuclear blitz as he pummelled England during the opening of three T20 matches.

Australia has secured a 28-run victory in the opening T20 contest against England in Southampton on Thursday.

The Aussies looked on track for a monster score after openers Travis Head and Matt Short combined for an 86-run stand.

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Head was the chief destroyer for the tourists as he blasted 59 runs from 23 balls which included one historic over.

After overturning an incorrect caught-behind decision in the fourth over, Head went Hulk mode as he delivered a blistering assault on the bowling of Sam Curran by scoring 30 runs in one over.

The feat sees him Ricky Ponting, Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian and Mitch Marsh as the only Australian players to score 30 in an over.

Head brought up his fifth T20I fifty in just 19 deliveries but departed on the final delivery of the Powerplay, top-edging a pull shot against Mahmood towards debutant Jordan Cox at deep square leg.

Travis Head put on a show against the Poms. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

After racing away to be 2-118, the Aussies capitulated and lost 8-61 as their innings came to an end after 19.3 overs and 179 runs on the board.

England, despite appearing on track at one point, couldn’t cash in as they managed only 151 runs while being bowled out in 19.2 overs.

While Sean Abbott claimed three wickets, it was Adam Zampa who was the thorn in the side for the Poms.

Zampa finished the contest with two wickets, giving up only 20 runs from his four overs in yet another dominant display with the white ball.

The win makes it four in a row for the Aussies after their 3-0 whitewash against Scotland in Edinburgh last week.

The Aussies were too good. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)

Australia’s win was further boosted by a piece of magic in the field from Tim David.

Jordan Cox attempted to hoist a ball from Xavier Bartlett into the stands however it skied high with David making up a lot of ground.

The Aussie dived and took a lunging catch over his shoulder with the ball sticking into the bottom of his palms in stunning fashion to send the Englishman on his way.

Cricket journalist Lawrence Booth wrote on X: “Catch of the summer by Tim David?”

The second T20 between England and Australia gets underway at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens on Saturday morning at 3.30am AEST.

Originally published as Travis Head goes ballistic as Australia topple England in T20 opener