TRAVIS Head became the third Australian to score a List A double-century as he led South Australia to victory in an enormous chase against Western Australia at Sydney’s Hurstville Oval.Head’s 202 overshadowed an impressive 176 from Test squad member Cameron Bancroft earlier in the day, and the Redbacks overhauled the Warriors’ 4 for 350 in the 47th over.
Phillip Hughes and Ben Dunk were the only two Australian men to have scored one-day double-centuries previously; Head registered his from 117 deliveries.
He struck 20 fours and 12 sixes before he was caught off the bowling of Joel Paris, but by then he and Callum Ferguson had brought victory within sight for the Redbacks, despite Western Australia’s big score.
Ferguson, one of four batsmen to score centuries in the match, finished unbeaten on 112 when the winning runs arrived.
But it was Head who dominated the innings. The young South Australia captain is highly rated by selectors despite being yet to post his maiden first-class century; this monumental innings is the perfect start for what he hopes will be a breakthrough summer.
Head, 21, was handed the South Australia captaincy earlier this year and this was certainly a captain’s innings. He opened with Tim Ludeman in what was a hefty chase and when he fell South Australia needed only 49 more runs from 12 overs.
Earlier in the day Head had sent Western Australia in to bat and a massive 216-run opening stand between Bancroft and Shaun Marsh left him wondering if he had made the right call.
Bancroft and Marsh were both part of the Test squad that was supposed to tour Bangladesh this month, but instead of batting against the red ball in a warm-up match in Fatullah this week they were facing the white ball in suburban Sydney. Marsh managed 109 from 104 balls but Bancroft’s 176 from 155 deliveries – his maiden one-day century – was the highlight of the first innings.
Although he is viewed as a long-form specialist due to his remarkable patience, Bancroft showed at Hurstville Oval that he also boasts enough shots to make him a threat in the shorter formats. He struck 14 fours and eight sixes before he was dismissed in the 49th over. Cricket Australia)