
Mahli Beardman tore through England's batting order on Friday, snatching 6 for 24 in a blistering one-day international debut at Perth Stadium. Australia bundled the visitors out for a paltry 131 in the series opener. It was ruthless.
The 21-year-old became the first Australian male fast bowler to claim a six-wicket haul on ODI debut. With that fiery spell, Beardman erased a 38-year-old national record and stamped his name into international cricket folklore before the afternoon shadows lengthened across the pitch.
England never found their footing. Beardman struck an early blow by removing England captain Harry Brook before sending batting linchpin Joe Root back to the pavilion. That double strike gutted the visitors' top order, leaving them reeling at 55 for 4 after 14 overs on a bouncy Perth surface.
The former Australia Under-19 World Cup player gave the touring side no breathing room. He systematically dismantled the remaining resistance, picking up the wickets of Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, and Jofra Archer to seal his six-wicket masterclass.
The performance surpassed a benchmark that had stood untouched since January 2, 1988. On that day, Tony Dodemaide collected 5 for 21 across 7.2 overs against Sri Lanka across town at the WACA Ground. For nearly four decades, no Australian newcomer managed to eclipse that standard. Beardman blew past it.
Beardman also became only the second Australian male bowler ever to collect five or more wickets on his ODI bow. On the all-time global list, his 6 for 24 sits as the fourth-best debut return in men's one-day international history, trailing only Scotland's Charlie Cassell, South Africa's Kagiso Rabada, and West Indies quick Fidel Edwards.
| Bowler | Country | Debut Figures | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Cassell | Scotland | 7/21 | Oman | 2024 |
| Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 6/16 | Bangladesh | 2015 |
| Fidel Edwards | West Indies | 6/22 | Zimbabwe |
Speaking to Australian great Mike Hussey during the innings break after taking his sixth wicket, Beardman admitted that early jitters threatened him before match rhythm took control.
I'm not sure what's just happened," Beardman said. "It all happened very quickly but it's just a great honour to represent my country and to take a few wickets is the cherry on top. I was pretty nervous early. First ball just trying to hit the cut stuff. Once that got out the way everything started to feel natural.
Australia now head into the remaining fixtures of the multi-match series carrying a dominant 1-0 advantage.
| 2003 |
| Mahli Beardman | Australia | 6/24 | England | 2025 |
| Tony Dodemaide | Australia | 5/21 | Sri Lanka | 1988 |