England and Australia faced off at the Rose Bowl in Southampton under ominous clouds, with debut national team captain Phil Salt opting to bowl first.
Little did he know the storm that was about to unfold at the other end. Matthew Short launched two maximums in the second over, followed by three boundaries from Head in the third, propelling the Australians to 41 by the end of the fourth over. But that was just the beginning of a dramatic six-ball sequence.
Sam Curran, fresh off impressive performances in the T20 Blast and The Hundred, was brought into the attack. His first delivery, a slower bouncer, nearly deceived Head, who managed to pull it for a boundary despite not connecting perfectly. Curran adjusted his approach, delivering a full ball outside off, which Head sliced square for a six.
Curran’s next delivery was straighter, and Head responded by clearing long-on for another maximum. With Curran under intense pressure, he tried a bouncer, which Head dispatched into the stands with ease. The shot of the over came on the penultimate ball when Head, shifting towards leg, nailed a length ball over covers with authoritative precision, flashing a broad smile.
Curran’s final mistake was a full, wide delivery, which Head smacked for another six, culminating in a staggering 30 runs off the over.
— Gill Bill (@bill_gill76078) September 11, 2024
Head eventually reached his half-century in just 19 balls before falling on the last ball of the powerplay, leaving the scoreboard at an impressive 86/1 and eliciting much amusement from Twitter.