Travis Head made history in the Ashes 2025 1st Test by making a century in a mere 69 balls, thus registering the second-fastest century in the Ashes and giving this century a place in the elite group of the batters who made a century in such a short span of time.
In the second innings, he opened the batting for Australia and scored a fantastic century that allowed Australia to comfortably go for the target successfully.
Such an accomplishment is remarkable if we consider the great rivalry that Australia and England have in Test cricket. We now see the list of fastest centuries in Ashes history.
Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist, the ex-wicketkeeper-batsman of the Australian cricket team, is well ahead of other participants because he scored the fastest century in Ashes history. In the 2006/07 series, during the second innings of the third Test at WACA in Perth, Gilchrist, batting at No. 7, made a hundred in just 57 balls. He finished his innings on 102* off 59 balls, including 12 fours and four sixes. This century is also the fourth-fastest Test century of all time.
By the way, he got dismissed for a duck in the first innings. Over his career, Gilchrist had scored 17 centuries and 26 half-centuries in 96 matches.
Travis Head
In the Perth Test between England and Australia, which was part of the Ashes 2025 series, Travis Head pulled off the unthinkable by making the second-fastest century in Ashes cricket, scoring a hundred off just 69 balls in the second innings. It was a shot innings from Head as he opened the innings for Australia after Usman Khawaja had to be treated for a back issue and could not bat.
Typically a middle-order batter, Head coming to open turned out to be a masterstroke for Australia. He scored a brisk 123 off 83 balls, including 16 fours and 4 sixes. His innings was crucial for the team as Australia comfortably chased down the target of 205, winning by eight wickets.
Gilbert Jessop
In the year 1902, during the fifth Test match of the Ashes series at The Oval, Englishman Gilbert Jessop had made a century of only 76 balls in the second innings, which was the third quickest century in Ashes history.
His contribution of 104 runs, where he scored 17 times with a four, was of great importance in the committee of the match as England stepped out with just one wicket to spare while chasing a target of 263 runs.
Joseph Darling
Joseph Darling from Australia made a 100 in just 85 balls in the second innings of the fifth Test match in Sydney, thus making it the fourth fastest century in Ashes history. He was eventually out for 160 after hitting 30 four’s. Australia, chasing a target of 275, won the match quite easily with six wickets in hand.
Darling appeared in a total of 34 Tests for Australia during his career, accumulating 1,657 runs which included 3 centuries and 8 half-centuries.
Travis Head
Travis Head again appears on the list, as in the 1st Ashes Test of 2021, the left bat scored a hundred in just 85 balls, thus becoming the joint fourth-fastest centurion in Ashes history. This was in the first innings where he finished with 152 off 148 balls, including 14 boundaries and 4 sixes.
Eventually, Australia won the match comfortably by nine wickets.
