Head's century leaves Australia in complete control

Once more, Travis Head stood in England's way. On another sun-soaked day in Adelaide, the left-hander rolled into a fourth century in as many Tests at his home ground, stretching Australia's grip on the match and tightening their hold on the Ashes urn. Head's unbeaten 142, his 11th Test hundred, powered Australia from a first-innings lead of 85 to a commanding 356, built through a decisive partnership with Usman Khawaja and then an unbeaten century stand with fellow South Australian Alex Carey.

The moment Head reached three figures, serenaded by an adoring Adelaide crowd, carried a weary sense of inevitability for England. He had hurt them in Perth, and here he was again, this time with fewer risks and little theatre. It wasn't the unrestrained 'Travball' of reputation, but an innings shaped by calm authority, played almost entirely on Head's terms.

England's lone opening came only when Head reached 99, when the deep point fielder was finally brought in and a chance briefly appeared. Harry Brook spilled it at gully. Beyond that, Head's progress to the hundred was marked by soft hands into gaps, pushes past the ring, and selective bursts of power, particularly when England turned to their fourth bowler, Will Jacks.

It wasn't clear why Ben Stokes didn't bowl after having dragged his side to somewhat touching distance. His 83 and his 106-run ninth-wicket stand with Jofra Archer had trimmed England's deficit to double digits after they had begun the day 158 behind with just two wickets in hand.

Stokes and Archer resumed in similar defiant fashion on the third morning. Stokes ground his way to his slowest Test half-century, off 159 deliveries, while Archer counterpunched whenever the opportunity arose, including depositing a tossed-up delivery from Nathan Lyon over long-on. In a small moral victory, England forced Australia to take the second new ball for the first time in the series before Archer reached his maiden Test fifty in his 28th innings.

The resistance finally ended when Mitchell Starc, wicketless in the game until then, sneaked one through Stokes' defence. Scott Boland then struck with just his second ball of the day, luring Archer into a drive and finding the edge to close out the England innings.

England briefly sniffed an opening when Josh Tongue produced a probing spell and when Australia were reduced to 53 for 2 in the second innings. One dismissal - Jake Weatherald - also proved fortuitous, with the left-hander declining a review for an LBW decision despite the ball pitching outside leg stump. Head, though, quickly shut the door on any comeback talk.

This time, there was no counterattack. Head simply hit the ball where it was bowled. England tried the short-ball ploy and even stacked the off side with a 7-2 field, but Head found gaps with ease. With Stokes unable to bowl, England leaned heavily on Jacks' offspin, which proved expensive, his 19 overs going for 107 runs.

Jacks did manage to break the 86-run stand between Head and Khawaja, removing the latter with a short, wide delivery edged during an attempted cut. That only brought Carey to the crease. The two South Australians barely broke a sweat in conditions they know intimately, easing their way to an unbeaten century partnership. Carey, who struck a hundred in the first innings, moved to 52 by stumps with Australia now eyeing a target beyond England's reach even in these pleasant batting conditions.

Brief scores: Australia 371 & 271/4 (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) by 356 runs