A turbulent week for Australian cricket concluded with a dominant seven-wicket victory over England in Perth, driven by a record-breaking debut from fast bowler Mahli Beardman. Despite missing their leading fast bowlers and dealing with off-field controversies, the hosts dismissed England for just 131 runs in 33.4 overs before easily chasing the target.
Record Debut for Beardman
The 21-year-old Beardman claimed figures of six for 24 from 7.4 overs, setting a new national record for the best figures on ODI debut. Operating at speeds touching 90mph, the Western Australian tore through the English batting lineup, drawing comparisons to Pat Cummins and drawing praise for his mentorship under Dennis Lillee. Modelled in part on South Africa’s Dale Steyn, Beardman removed key batsmen including Harry Brook and Joe Root with sharp outswing.
England’s Batting Collapse
England struggled to adapt to the conditions at Optus Stadium, undone by driving on the up and poor shot selection against short-pitched bowling. Joe Root labored for 17 runs in his 200th ODI, while Gus Atkinson top-scored with 29 runs down the order. Tom Banton and Will Jacks contributed 25 runs each, but Sam Curran and Liam Dawson both recorded ducks as Beardman dismantled the lower order. Left-armer Spencer Johnson also made an impact by claiming three wickets for 42 runs, starting with the early dismissal of Ben Duckett.
Swift Run Chase
Australia chased down the paltry target with 165 balls to spare, despite Travis Head falling for a golden duck to Atkinson. An explosive half-century from Josh Inglis and contributions from Matt Renshaw sealed the emphatic victory. Inglis also claimed five catches behind the stumps, including an edge off Jordan Cox that put Beardman on a hat-trick.
Reflecting on his dream start, Beardman admitted the performance exceeded his expectations. “Lying in bed last night, that is not what I had in mind,” he told Sport | The Guardian. “It happened all so fast.”
