The China Mail - Smith in charge after Head's 163 to put Australia seven behind England

It was the destructive opener's third ton of the series, to go with the phenomenal match-winning 123 he made in Perth and 170 at Adelaide.

It helped drive the hosts, who began the day 166-2, to 377-6 at the break in a packed Sydney Cricket Ground, with Cameron Green alongside Smith on eight not out.

Head brought up three figures off just 105 balls and seemed destined to score 200.

But he came undone in the third over after lunch by the part-time spin of Jacob Bethell, who was bowling for the first time in the series.

In his second over, Bethell trapped the 32-year-old lbw attempting a sweep shot to end a magnificent knock.

Usman Khawaja, in his 88th and last Test after announcing his retirement, also fell lbw in the second session, to Brydon Carse for 17.

Josh Tongue was probing and finally got a reward when he enticed an edge from Alex Carey to Bethell in the slips on 16 just before tea to reinvigorate England.

The hosts lead the series 3-1 and have already retained the Ashes, with England desperate for another win after victory at the previous Test in Melbourne.

Head resumed on 91 and nightwatchman Michael Neser on one after Jake Weatherald (21) and Marnus Labuschagne (48) were out on Monday.

Head clattered an early midwicket boundary off Ben Stokes and reached three figures with his 17th four, crunched through the covers from Tongue, windmilling his bat in celebration.

It was his 12th century and first in Sydney to cement his reputation as one of the game's most versatile batsmen.

Head only moved to the top of the order in the second innings of the first Test in Perth due to Khawaja's back injury, but he has made the position his own.

With his hundred secure, he banged three straight fours off Matthew Potts then had a massive let-off on 121 when he pulled Carse and Will Jacks dropped a sitter near the ropes.

A big six off Potts took him to 148 and he passed 150 with another four from Tongue.

Neser ably stuck around for 90 balls to foil England, who wasted their last two reviews on him.

Batting like a top-order batsman, he smacked four boundaries before getting a thin edge on 24 to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith off Carse.

Smith, on 12, was dropped at leg slip by Zak Crawley but safely made it to lunch and posted 50 for a 45th time with a drive down the ground.

When Khawaja departed, Carey produced a series of textbook strokes before being dismissed in a similar way to his last two Tests.

G.Tsang--ThChM