List of Australians to have scored 30 or more runs in an over in T20Is ft. Travis Head
Australia beat England by 28 runs at the Rose Bowl in Southampton in the first T20I of the three-match series on Wednesday, September 11. Aussie opener Travis Head entered the record books when he smashed 30 runs off Sam Curran's over to hand his team the advantage. Australia seemed like they would cross 200, but they were restricted to 179.
England did not put up much of a fight in their innings, although skipper and wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt led the way with a 12-ball 27 at the top of the order. Apart from Liam Livingstone (37), none of the others put up a fight.
With his rare feat, Head entered into a list of players who have scored 30 or more runs in an over for Australia in T20Is. Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch combined to smash 30 runs in an over against Pakistan in 2014 but were omitted from the list as it is focused purely on individual players.
#1 Ricky Ponting vs New Zealand in 2005
The legendary Ricky Ponting was the first Australian to score 30 runs off one over in a T20I. The former Australia captain achieved this feat against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland in 2005.
Pacer Daryl Tuffey was the unfortunate bowler on this occasion as Ponting went ballistic against him en route to an unbeaten 98 off just 55 deliveries. His knock was single-handedly responsible for taking Australia to 214-5.
In response, New Zealand were served well by a 39-ball 66 from all-rounder Scott Styris, but it was not enough to see the Kiwis home. Australia won the game by a comfortable margin of 44 runs.
#2 Dan Christian vs Bangladesh in 2021
All-rounder Dan Christian comes second on this list thanks to the 30 runs he scored off Shakib Al Hasan in the fourth T20I between Australia and Bangladesh in Mirpur, Dhaka in 2021.
Having restricted the hosts to a lowly 104-7 at the end of their 20 overs, Australia struggled to get runs on the board owing to the sluggish nature of the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium surface.
Christian, however, stood out with the five sixes he scored off Shakib to hand the Aussies some momentum. Although he got out for a 15-ball 39, Ashton Agar scored a run-a-ball 27 to take the Kangaroos home.
#3 Mitchell Marsh vs Scotland in 2024
Burly all-rounder and captain of the Australian T20I side Mitchell Marsh comes fourth on this list for smashing 30 runs off Scotland's Jack Jarvis in the recently concluded series between the two teams.
Batting first in Edinburgh, Scotland could manage to post 154-9 on the board. Sean Abbott led the ranks for Australia with 3-39.
In reply, the Aussies lost opener Jake Fraser-McGurk off just the third ball of the innings. Travis Head and Marsh then built a 113-run partnership in just six overs. Marsh eventually got out for 39 while Head scored 80 to win the game.
#4 Travis Head vs England in 2024
The latest Australian to enter the list is Travis Head, who hit England's Sam Curran for 30 runs in the first T20I on Wednesday.
The southpaw tore into Curran's first over, smashing a couple of boundaries at the beginning before setting the stage alight with three consecutive sixes. Head ended the over with another boundary.
This was the second time Curran conceded 30 or more runs in an over after West Indies' Rovman Powell smashed him in a T20 World Cup game earlier this year.