WA paceman Matt Kelly wasn’t using the side’s lack of red-ball bowling preparation as an excuse for their “poor” Sheffield Shield return against South Australia at the WACA Ground today.

Kelly, who hadn’t bowled in a match since November 11 after two months in Big Bash hubs without getting a gig, stuck in the second over before the visitors dominated for the rest of day one.

Redbacks captain Travis Head made a massive statement in front of Australian coach Justin Langer during a clinical batting display to finish unbeaten on 189 off 204 balls.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the visitors are in a commanding position after day one at 4-368 thanks to twin tons to Head and gritty young opener Henry Hunt (109).

In his first game for SA since getting dropped during the India Test series, the classy left-hander raced from six to 105 in the 29 overs between lunch and tea to bring up his 15th first-class century.

He will be eyeing a maiden shield double-century and his highest score of 192 when play resumes on day two, alongside Harry Nielsen (14no).

“It’s certainly a different season, we’ve spent a lot of time away from home and a lot of time in hotels and things like that so preparation is a bit different this year,” Kelly said.

“But every opportunity we’ve had to get the red ball in our hand, especially even during the Big Bash, to get those opportunities you have to take them.

“I think our preparation was pretty good and the guys who were back here in Perth played a lot of Premier Cricket and have done really well so we were certainly ready to go for today.”

Head and Hunt put on 151 of their 186-run stand in the middle session alone before the latter became Test allrounder Cam Green’s first victim in 458 balls and 115 days.

Green (1-55 off 13 overs) was the pick of WA’s bowlers, while last season’s shield leading wicket-taker Cam Gannon (1-91 off 22) bounced back from a horror start to strike with the second new ball.

Alex Carey (24) was the last wicket of the day before Nielsen gave chances in consecutive overs off the two Cams.

“With the new ball there was certainly enough there, a little bit of swing and nip early, but as the ball got a bit older it was a bit easier to bat,” Kelly said.

“Credit to the way Heady and Henry Hunt batted, I thought they played very well and put all the bad balls away and we offered them a few and they took advantage of that and were unbelievable.”

Hunt reached his half-century in the final over of the opening session but soon became somewhat of a spectator to his senior partner.

Head, who was in the mix for a recall to Australia’s Test XI for the now abandoned tour of South Africa, came to the crease with the innings evenly placed at 2-66.

He was 51 runs shy of his batting partner at the first break and remarkably passed him by the next as Hunt became somewhat of a spectator.

They hit 42 boundaries between them, punishing the wayward WA bowling attack for their lack of consistency to reach their milestones in consecutive overs.

It was Head’s second triple-figure score in six days after an unbeaten 108 in Adelaide club cricket on Saturday.

The visitors were one down within the first two overs as former WA batsman Will Bosisto (two) got a faint edge to gloveman Josh Inglis six balls into seamer Matt Kelly’s spell.

WA were on top for at least the first hour without any further breakthroughs Hunt and emerging allrounder Liam Scott (20) dug in during a tough period on their way to a 62-run stand.

It got easier for the second-wicket pairing after drinks with WA bowling too many pressure-releasing deliveries.

The second dismissal was nearly a carbon copy of the first, only this time it was Aaron Hardie who found Scott’s edge 19 minutes before the lunch break.

It brought Head to the crease and he didn’t waste any time, getting off the mark straight away and playing and exquisite cover drive for four off Green the next over.

Earlier, speedster Liam Guthrie (0-51 off 15) and leg-spinner Liam O’Connor (0-41 off eight) got the nod over experienced seamer Joel Paris for WA but neither were among the wickets.