England suffered a heavy seven-wicket defeat against Australia in the opening one-day international in Perth after being dismissed for just 131 in 33.4 overs.
The hosts reached 132-3 in 23.3 overs, securing victory with 26.3 overs remaining in the scheduled innings. Mitchell Marsh led the chase with a 29-ball half-century, while Cooper Connolly contributed 27.
England’s batting collapse came as 21-year-old fast bowler Mahli Beardman claimed six wickets for 24 runs on his international debut, recording the best bowling figures by an Australian making his first ODI appearance.
Beardman Destroys England’s Batting Line-up
Beardman made an immediate impact by dismissing England captain Harry Brook in his second over to claim his first international wicket.
He later removed Joe Root for 17, Tom Banton for 25, Jordan Cox and Sam Curran. His opening spell produced five wickets for 18 runs from five overs, leaving England struggling at 65-8.
Banton’s 25 and Will Jacks’ 25 were among the few contributions from England’s top and middle order. Gus Atkinson remained unbeaten on 29, including the innings’ only six, but England were unable to recover.
Beardman returned later to dismiss Liam Dawson and Jofra Archer, completing his six-wicket haul.
England Repeat Familiar Batting Mistakes in Perth
Several of England’s dismissals involved attempts to drive deliveries that moved away from the bat, a pattern that recalled their difficult start to the previous Ashes series at the same venue.
Ben Duckett was caught at backward point after slicing a delivery from Spencer Johnson, while Banton edged a drive after committing his feet. Root also edged a ball he attempted to drive, and Cox was caught behind after playing tentatively from the crease.
Curran fell for a seven-ball duck after top-edging a hook shot off Beardman, who reached speeds above 90mph.
England were dismissed inside 34 overs, marking the 15th occasion they have been bowled out in 29 one-day internationals since Brendon McCullum became head coach. Eleven of those collapses have occurred while batting first.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said the team needed to improve quickly if they were to become contenders for next year’s World Cup. He noted that the players had made basic errors on a pitch offering significant pace and bounce.
Marsh Leads Australia’s Comfortable Chase
Australia’s reply began with an early setback when Travis Head was bowled for a first-ball duck after dragging the delivery onto his stumps.
However, Marsh took control of the chase, reaching 50 from 29 balls. He repeatedly attacked England’s bowling, striking four sixes over the leg side during his innings.
Marsh was eventually dismissed after reaching his half-century, while Connolly departed for 27. Josh Inglis and Matthew Renshaw then completed the chase without further difficulty.
Former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody said England had failed to adjust their approach to the extra pace and bounce at Perth. He suggested that a total between 230 and 250 would have been a more reasonable target on the surface.
Australia Find a New Fast-Bowling Prospect
Beardman’s performance came while Australia’s leading fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were rested for the series.
The trio’s involvement in the 2018 ball-tampering incident in Cape Town has recently returned to public discussion following comments by Usman Khawaja in his new book.
Beardman, whose early career has been affected by back injuries, took advantage of the opportunity with an accurate spell that combined pace, short deliveries and full-length balls.
Xavier Bartlett also impressed with the new ball, while left-arm fast bowler Spencer Johnson dismissed Duckett, Jamie Overton and Jacks.
Sandpaper Controversy Continues Around Australia
The match took place amid renewed discussion of Australia’s ball-tampering scandal. Former Australian batter David Warner had accused Cummins of throwing Khawaja under the bus during television coverage earlier in the day.
Cummins had also responded strongly to Khawaja’s comments, while Australia captain Marsh faced repeated questions about the controversy during a news conference on Thursday.
Australia’s victory provided a result on the field as the debate continued, with Beardman’s performance becoming a major feature of the opening match.
England Must Respond in Adelaide
The second match of the three-game ODI series will take place in Adelaide on Sunday, with the third fixture to follow.
England will be looking to respond after losing four of their previous five matches. Their recent defeats in a tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka have added pressure as they prepare for next year’s World Cup.
Australia, meanwhile, will take a 1-0 lead into the second match after completing their Perth chase with a substantial number of overs remaining.
