3 minute read

South Australian batsman Travis Head has made a timely century against NSW on day two of the Sheffield Shield match in Adelaide.

South Australia's Test hopeful Travis Head has posted a compelling century against a powerful NSW attack in the Sheffield Shield game in Adelaide.

Head, seeking to reclaim his Test spot for the Pakistan home series, made a fighting 109 on Saturday.

The Redbacks are 7-222 at stumps on day two, after bowling the Blues out for 289 with paceman Chadd Sayers collecting a career-best 8-64.

SA skipper Head was given an Ashes run of four Tests with middling returns of 191 runs at 27.28 before being axed for the fifth Test.

He's among a batch of batsmen seeking Shield runs before a high-stakes selection audition against Pakistan for Australia A from November 11 in Perth.

Alex Carey has been named captain of A side, with Head, Usman Khawaja, Joe Burns and Marcus Harris all wanting to press their claims for the first Test starting November 21.

Head's composed 214-ball innings featured nine fours but he was dismissed just three overs before stumps by Josh Hazlewood, while Tom Cooper (37) was the only other batsman to pass 20.

The 25-year-old Head's 11th first-class century came against a Blues bowling line-up featuring Test stars Hazlewood (1-58 from 20 overs) and Nathan Lyon (1-42 from 20).

Head's knock is timely for both his Test prospects and his state, but teammate Sayers has written off his chances, no matter how many wickets he takes.

Sayers laughed off any Test talk after claiming six wickets on Friday, before cleaning up the Blues' tail with two more victims on Saturday.

NSW debutant Daniel Solway dominated the visitors' innings with an unbeaten 133 and Peter Nevill made 53.