Debutant Mahli Beardman ripped through England’s batting lineup with a ferocious spell of 6 for 24 at Optus Stadium on Sunday, skittling the visitors for 131. Australia chased down the target in just 23.3 overs to seal a crushing seven-wicket victory. England had no answers. Beardman's masterclass broke the opening match wide open, handing Australia a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The 19-year-old pacer became the first Australian bowler to pocket a five-wicket haul on ODI debut since Tony Dodemaide in 1988. He did not stop there. By the time he walked off the turf after 7.4 scorching overs, Beardman owned the best bowling figures by an Australian debutant in one-day international history.
Australia won the toss, inspected the fresh Perth surface, and opted to bowl. The payoff was immediate. England found the steep pace and bounce impossible to navigate, disintegrating from a steady 38 for 2 into an embarrassing 60 for 7.
Beardman tore the heart out of England's order. He knocked over Harry Brook, trapped Joe Root, and then sent Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, and Jofra Archer packing in relentless succession. Spencer Johnson maintained the squeeze from the opposing end, picking up 3 wickets as England folded for 131 in 33.4 overs. Only Tom Banton and Will Jacks offered brief resistance with 25 runs apiece, while Gus Atkinson scrambled an unbeaten 29 from the lower order.
| Perth ODI Match Statistics | England | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Total Score | 131 all out (33.4 overs) | 132/3 (23.3 overs) |
| Top Batter | Gus Atkinson (29* off 37) | Mitchell Marsh (50 off 30) |
| Secondary Contributor | Tom Banton & Will Jacks (25 each) | Cooper Connolly (27 off 39) |
| Top Bowler | Liam Dawson (1/28) | Mahli Beardman (6/24 in 7.4 ov) |
| Support Bowling | Jofra Archer (1/34) | Spencer Johnson (3/38 in 8 ov) |
| Result | Lost by 7 wickets |
The target of 132 never challenged the hosts. Australia launched out of the blocks with brutal intent, knocking off the runs with 159 balls to spare.
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh bludgeoned England's attack, racing to a half-century off just 30 deliveries with blistering strokeplay through the off-side. Cooper Connolly struck a measured 27, while Matt Renshaw anchored the final stretch, remaining unbeaten on 26 to seal the rout.
England captain Harry Brook acknowledged that his dressing room failed to handle the furnace of Perth despite ample lead time.
Yeah. We've been here for a week and a half or so. We've prepared extremely well. Australia have bowled extremely well. Mahli Beardman was outstanding today. He put the ball in the right areas, got enough out of the surface to dismiss us, and, yeah, they put in a good performance with the ball," Brook said after the match.
Brook conceded that England's shot selection unraveled against Australian discipline.
We spoke a lot about adaptability. We want to adapt to different surfaces, and as I said before, we've been here for a week and a half. We prepared extremely well. We knew that certain shots weren't going to work on this pitch, but look, the Australian attack bowled extremely well. They put the ball in the right areas for 30-odd overs, and we probably didn't execute our skill well enough," Brook added.
With the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa firmly in focus, Brook framed the Perth trouncing as an essential crucible for a developing group.
Definitely, and that is the bigger picture. We've got a World Cup in South Africa in 12 months' time, and these experiences, we take them, we learn from them as much as we possibly can. We're not out of this series yet. We've been in this position a couple of times before and managed to bounce back. So hopefully we can do that when we get to Adelaide," Brook said.
England now travel south under heavy scrutiny, with the second ODI scheduled at the Adelaide Oval before the series wraps up in Hobart.
| Won by 7 wickets (Australia 1-0) |