Australia closed day two on 343-7, with a lead of 196, after a brilliant unbeaten century from Travis Head (112no) and big contributions from David Warner (94) and Marnus Labuschagne (74) at The Gabba.
Thursday 9 December 2021 10:02, UK
Sky Cricket number-cruncher Benedict Bermange looks at the top stats from day two of the 2021/22 Ashes series, as Travis Head scored an impressive unbeaten century and Jack Leach was targeted by the Australian batsmen at The Gabba...
In the last Ashes series, David Warner scored 95 runs in 10 innings, and was dismissed by Stuart Broad on seven occasions. On Thursday, without Broad in the opposition line-up, he scored 94 runs in one innings.
Later in the day, Head went to tea 0no and scored 112 runs in the final session. Only two batsmen have ever scored more runs in the final session of a day's play for Australia - VT Trumper (133) against South Africa in 1911 and GJ Bonnor (113) against England back in 1885.
The last Australian to score a century in a session in the Ashes was Adam Gilchrist, who scored 102 runs in the third session of the third day of the 2006 Perth Test.
Head's century came from just 85 deliveries, the joint third-fastest in Ashes history.
Don Bradman scored a century in five different Ashes sessions and Victor Trumper two. The most runs by anyone in the final session of a day's play is 140 by Ian Smith for New Zealand against India at Auckland in 1990.
Jack Leach is currently one of only five bowlers to have bowled at least 10 overs in a Test innings and conceded at least eight runs per over. He has conceded 95 runs from his 11 overs, which is a per-over average of 8.63.
Only Pakistan's Yasir Shah holds a worse record, having leaked 124 runs from his 14 overs during their 2017 Test against Australia in Sydney.
