At times during the first half of the third day at Adelaide Oval, England threatened to keep their Ashes hopes alive, but on his home ground Travis Head’s second century of the series as an opening batter carried Australia to a 356-run lead which will surely be turned into a 3-0 Ashes retention at some point over the weekend.

For Head, who was dropped on 99 by Harry Brook at gully, it was the continuation of a magnificent run in Adelaide which has brought four of his 11 Test centuries, all of them coming in his last six innings at the ground. This one could also have gone a long way towards cementing him as an opener following his hasty promotion in Perth and the blazing hundred which followed. Overall it was Head’s fourth hundred against England and by the close his career-best 175, which also came in Adelaide, was looming into view.

Initially, at least, the wheels did not come off for England as they had threatened to do on the second day at 168 for 8. But any hopes of the type of run chase that has characterized the Bazball era appeared forlorn during a desperate final session that saw Australia pile up 152 in 35 overs as Head combined with fellow South Australian Alex Carey in an unbroken 122-run stand.

That Australia only led on 85 after the first innings was down to a resilient 106-run stand between Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer as England showed impressive character during the first session, and for a time it was far from a foregone conclusion that Australia would dominate.

Having been forced to take the second new ball to wrap up England’s innings, where Stokes threatened to play one of his game-changing innings before falling to Mitchell Starc for the 12th time in Tests, Australia then lost Jake Weatherald before lunch. He was lbw to Brydon Carse, who produced his best spell since the first day in Perth either side of the break, although Weatherald would have been saved with a review as the ball pitched outside leg.

But after Josh Tongue removed an out-of-sorts Marnus Labuschagne England were unable to apply any pressure on Head and Usman Khawaja as the pair added 86 in 113 balls. Though Khawaja and Cameron Green fell in quick succession any sense of vulnerability soon vanished as Head and Carey set about their partnership. Carey continued his outstanding match with a half-century to follow the first-innings hundred.

Brief scores:
Australia 371 and 271 for 4 (Travis Head 142*, Alex Carey 52*; Josh Tongue 2-59) lead England 286 (Ben Stokes 83, Jofra Archer 51, Scott Boland 3-45, Pat Cummins 3-69, Nathan Lyon 2-70) by 356 runs

[Cricinfo]