Head's hundred helps Australia to a 356-run lead in 3rd Ashes test against England

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Travis Head took off his helmet and gloves, dropped to his knees and planted a kiss on the pitch after posting a century in a fourth consecutive test on his home ground at the Adelaide Oval.

It was trademark “Travball" on Day 3 of the third Ashes cricket test.

The freewheeling Australia batter had a huge reprieve on 99 when he slashed at a Jofra Archer delivery and was dropped by Harry Brook at gully. That was after he fended a Joe Root tweaker and took off for a quick single, only to be sent back by batting partner Alex Carey.

Head faced eight balls without scoring while on 99, then went for broke and advanced down the pitch and drove the ball back over Root’s head to the long-on boundary to move to 103.

It was his 11th century in 63 tests, and second in five innings since being promoted from No. 5 to open the innings in Perth. That's where his match-winning innings sealed Australia's eight-wicket win to open the series.

By stumps Friday, Head was unbeaten on 142 and his unbroken partnership with fellow South Australian Carey (52) was 122. Australia was 271-4, with a lead of 356.

Head said his new-look celebration of the century was designed to get a laugh out of his teammates.

“I got the rise out of the dressing room that I expected," he said in comments published by Fox Sports. He added, more seriously, that his hometown "wicket has looked after me over the last few years.

"I didn’t think I’d get one, so to get four (centuries at the Adelaide Oval) is not too bad. I felt alright.”

Brook took two excellent catches in the slips to remove Marnus Labuschagne (13) and Cameron Green (7) off Josh Tongue's bowling, but the one he missed against Head was costly.

The Australians went in to bat after dismissing England for 286 just before lunch, after Ben Stokes and Archer helped cut the first-innings margin to 85 with a record 106-run ninth-wicket stand.

Stokes walked off the field yelling at himself and shaking his head after being bowled for 83 by Mitchell Starc, bringing an end to a defiant, 198-ball innings that dragged his team back into the contest.

After losing the first two tests in Perth and Brisbane and allowing Australia to post 371 in the first innings here, England's chances of keeping the five-test series alive seemed remote when Stokes went to the crease on Day 2 with the total at 71-4.

With England on the verge of collapsing at 168-8, Stokes joined forces with No. 10 Archer to bat out the evening session. The pair resumed Friday with England at 213 for eight, still 158 behind.

Australia wanted to clean up the last two wickets quickly but Stokes and Archer, who took a five-wicket haul when England was bowling, dug in.

Stokes stepped down the wicket to Scott Boland for a driven boundary to bring up the 50 partnership off 89 balls, then raised his half-century with a single off 159 deliveries. It was his slowest 50 in test cricket — his 37th — but vital for his team.

Not long after, Archer took a single off Cummins to reach his first test half-century off 97 balls, bringing England's deficit under 100.

But the innings ended relatively quickly after left-armer Starc bowled Stokes with a delivery from over the wicket that angled back. The Stokes-Archer partnership was the highest ever for the ninth wicket for England at Adelaide.

All that time in the sun had an impact on England's bowling attack, though. Archer, who took five wickets in the first innings, took 0-15 in 10 overs on Friday. Stokes, England's highest wicket-taker this year, didn't bowl and had to leave the field for a short while in the evening session.

England is capable of tracking down a big target in the fourth innings, chasing 370-plus against India twice in the last three years, so Bazball won't be completely dispensed with despite Stokes' stoic first innings.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Australia's Travis Head celebrates after scoring century during play on day three of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Travis Head kisses the pitch after scoring a century during play on day three of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Travis Head reacts after scoring 50 runs during play on day three of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne reacts while batting during play on day three of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Brydon Carse, left, celebrates with Ben Stokes after dismissing Australia's Jake Weatherald, during play on day three of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Jofra Archer plays a shot during play on day two of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England batsmen Jofra Archer, right, and Ben Stokes talk during play on day three of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Ben Stokes bats during play on day three of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks gained ground on Wall Street as AI stocks like Nvidia turned higher again. The S&P 500 rose 0.9% Friday, erasing its losses for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 183 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.3%. Oracle rose sharply after joining a new joint venture for TikTok in the U.S. Winnebago Industries soared after turning in profits and revenue that easily beat analysts’ estimates. Japanese stocks closed higher after the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to its highest level in 30 years. Treasury yields rose in the bond market.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose in afternoon trading on Wall Street Friday and pushed several major indexes toward weekly gains.

The S&P 500 jumped 0.9%, adding to gains made on Thursday. The index is now on track for a weekly gain.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 256 points, or 0.5%, as of 2:59 p.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq jumped 1.2% and is now also on track for a weekly gain.

Technology stocks with a focus on artificial intelligence once again led the market. Nvidia jumped 3.5% and Broadcom rose 1.9%.

The sector has been the driving force for Wall Street throughout the year as companies with outsized values like Nvidia exert more pressure on markets. Those pricey stock values have come under more scrutiny from investors wondering whether they are justifiable.

Oracle rose 7.3% on news that it, along with two other investors, had signed agreements to form a new TikTok U.S. joint ventur e. Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX each get a 15% share in the popular social video platform, ensuring that it can continue operating in the U.S.

Company earnings and how companies are performing amid tariffs and inflation were a key focus for Wall Street.

Nike slumped 10.6%, as the impact from tariffs overshadowed an otherwise strong quarterly profit report. Frozen potato maker Lamb Weston fell 25%, despite also beating Wall Street's profit and revenue forecasts.

Winnebago Industries jumped 8.4% after turning in profits and revenue for its latest quarter that easily beat analysts’ estimates.

Homebuilders dropped following a report showing that home sales slowed from a year earlier for the first time since May. Lennar lost 1% and KB Home fell 8.3%.

A survey from the University of Michigan showed that consumer sentiment in December improved slightly from November, but is deeply diminished from a year ago.

“Despite some signs of improvement to close out the year, sentiment remains nearly 30% below December 2024, as pocketbook issues continue to dominate consumer views of the economy,” wrote Surveys of Consumers Director, Joanne Hsu.

Consumer confidence has been weakening throughout the year as persistent inflation squeezes consumers. The job market is also slowing while retail sales weaken. Business and consumers are also worrying about the continued impact of a wide-ranging U.S.-led trade war that has targeted key partners including China and Canada.

The latest inflation update on Thursday revealed a surprise cooling of prices in November. The Labor Department reported that its consumer price index rose 2.7%. But economists quickly warned that those numbers were suspect because they’d been delayed and likely distorted by the 43-day federal shutdown.

“The wave of economic data did little to provide clarity for investors this week, keeping the market in the trading range it has been in since September,” said. Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide, in a note to investors.

Inflation is still above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. The central bank cut its benchmark interest rate at its most recent meeting. It has been concerned about the slowing job market hurting the economy. But cutting interest rates could add more fuel to inflation, which could also stunt economic growth.

The Fed has maintained a cautious stance about interest rate policy heading into 2026 and Wall Street is mostly betting that it will hold steady on rates at its next meeting in January.

Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.15% from 4.11% late Thursday.

Japanese stocks rose after the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to its highest level in 30 years. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 1%, leading the rise across Asia's key markets. Markets in Europe also gained ground.

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AP Business Writer Matt Ott contributed.

Specialist Glenn Carell, left, and trader Robert Charmak work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Trader Jonathan Mueller works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Medline Industries signage is displayed outside the Nasdaq MarketSite, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Trader Vincent Vincent Napolitano, surrounded by holiday decorations, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialists Alex Weitzman, left, and Meric Greenbaum work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

People walk in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

People stand in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing the market indexes of Shanghai, Tokyo and New York Dow at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person walks in front of a chart showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)