Travis Head smashes career-best 154 not out as Australia chases down 316 to beat England in 1st ODI

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Travis Head was at his belligerent best in smashing a career-best 154 not out to underpin Australia's chase of 316 to win the first one-day international against England on Thursday and gain a 13th straight victory in the 50-over format.

It was the left-handed opener's sixth ODI century — and his first since a similarly brutal knock of 137 in Australia's victory over India in the World Cup final 10 months ago.

The tourists needed a big innings from someone after Ben Duckett hit 95 in England's 315 all out at Trent Bridge, a ground known for being a batter's paradise with short boundaries.

England would have hoped for more after being 211-2 after 32 overs, only for Australia's spinners — including part-time slow bowler Marnus Labuschagne (3-39) — to slow down the run rate and take nine wickets in total, many at crucial times. England's final seven wickets fell for 83 runs, with Head even getting involved with two of the wickets.

Head then let rip with with the bat, hitting 20 fours and five sixes as Australia strolled to 317-3 and a seven-wicket victory with six overs remaining. It was the highest individual score by an Australian in England and bettered his 152 against the English in Melbourne in November 2022, further enhancing his status as one of the world's best and most destructive white-ball batters.

“I've worked extremely hard over a few years and I probably play the game a bit more relaxed now,” Head said. “I take it for what it is and try to enjoy what I'm doing. It's coming off in the way I'm playing.”

To celebrate his century, Head perched his helmet on the top of his bat handle and raised it to the sky. He was there at the end to see Australia over the line in its highest successful ODI chase in England.

Labuschagne was there, too — just like he was in that World Cup final run chase in Ahmedabad — and posted an unbeaten 61-ball 77.

In England's innings, Will Jacks hit 62 for his third half-century in eight ODIs, and Australia's lead spinner Adam Zampa had 3-49 off 10 overs in his 100th ODI.

“We were eyeing up a big score, for sure," England stand-in captain Harry Brook said. “It wasn't meant to be. It was difficult there in the middle against the spinners, we probably didn't rotate the strike as well as we wanted and we ended up getting a below-par score in the end.”

The second ODI of the five-match series between the fierce cricket rivals is at Headingley on Saturday and Australia will hope to have senior players Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell available, after they missed out in Nottingham because of illness.

The Australians are set to be without pacer Ben Dwarshuis, who was making his ODI debut but sustained a suspected pectoral strain while throwing off-balance from the boundary during England's innings and went off injured.

Dwarshuis had only bowled four overs to that point and never returned to the field. His absence was part of the reason why Australia bowled only spin for the last 18 overs of England's innings — and the ploy worked.

“The longer the innings went on, we thought pace off was the better option,” Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said. “It was a gut feel and the way we bowled, especially our part-timers, was fantastic.”

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

England's Will Jacks celebrates reaching his half century as he bats during the first one day international match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne celebrates with team-mates including Travis Head, on his back, after taking the wicket of England's Harry Brook during the first one day international match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

England's Jacob Bethell, left, bats during the first one day international match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

England's Liam Livingstone bats during the first one day international match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

Australia's Aaron Hardie prevents a boundary as he fields during the first one day international match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne fields the ball during the first one day international match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne celebrates taking the wicket of England's Ben Duckett, not pictured, during the first one day international match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

England's Ben Duckett batting during the first one day international match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

Australia's Travis Head celebrates 100 runs during the first one day international match between England and Australia, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

Australia's Travis Head celebrates 100 runs with batting partner Marnus Labuschagne during the first one day international match between England and Australia, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

Australia's Travis Head celebrates 100 runs during the first one day international match between England and Australia, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England, Thursday Sept. 19, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday the Federal Reserve's decision to lower interest rates was “an important signal” that inflation has eased as he poked at Donald Trump's economic policies as a failure in the past and sure to “fail again” if revived.

“Lowering interest rates isn’t a declaration of victory," Biden told the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. "It’s a declaration of progress, to signal we’ve entered a new phase of our economy and our recovery.”

The Democratic president emphasized that there was more work left to do, but he used his speech to burnish his economic legacy even as he criticized Trump, his Republican predecessor who is running for another term.

“Trickle down down economics failed," Biden said. "He's promising again trickle down economics. It will fail again.”

Biden said Trump wants to extend tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy, costing an estimated $5 trillion, and implement tariffs that could raise prices by nearly $4,000 per family, something that Biden described as a “new sales tax.”

A spokesman for Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Trump has routinely hammered Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate this year, over higher costs.

“People can’t go out and buy cereal or bacon or eggs or anything else," he said during last week's debate. “The people of our country are absolutely dying with what they've done. They've destroyed the economy.”

Biden dismissed Trump's claims that he supports workers, saying “give me a break.” His administration created more manufacturing jobs and spurred more factory construction, and it reduced the trade deficit with China.

Trump's economic record was undermined by the coronavirus outbreak, and Biden blamed him for botching the country's response.

“His failure in handling the pandemic led to hundreds of thousands of Americans dying,” he said.

Biden struggled to demonstrate economic progress because of inflation, which spread around the globe as the pandemic receded and supply chain problems multiplied.

He expressed hope that the rate cut will make it more affordable for Americans to buy houses and cars.

“I believe it's important for the country to recognize this progress,” he said. “Because if we don't, the progress we made will remain locked in the fear of a negative mindset that dominated our economic outlook since the pandemic began.”

He said businesses should see “the immense opportunities in front of us right now" by investing and expanding.

Biden defended the independence of the Federal Reserve, which could be threatened by Trump if he is elected to another term. Trump publicly pressured the central bank to lower rates during his presidency, a break with past customs.

“It would do enormous damage to our economy if that independence is ever lost.”

President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Economic Club of Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)