Mahli Beardman could hardly have dreamed of a better start to his one-day international career. The 21-year-old West Australian fast bowler took 6-24 on debut as England were bowled out for just 131 in the first ODI at Perth Stadium on Friday, 13 November, and Australia cruised to a seven-wicket win with more than 26 overs to spare.

Beardman's figures are the best ever by an Australian man on ODI debut, breaking a record that had stood for 38 years. Australia lead the three-match series 1-0, and they did it on a day when Australian cricket was still dealing with the fallout from Pat Cummins' extraordinary press conference on the 2018 ball-tampering scandal just hours earlier.

A debut for the record books

Beardman did not take the new ball. Captain Mitchell Marsh, who won the toss and chose to bowl under a sunny Perth sky, opened with Xavier Bartlett and Spencer Johnson and brought the debutant on in the 10th over. His first over in ODI cricket was a maiden, with Joe Root facing all six balls without scoring.

His first wicket came with his eighth delivery, a beauty that angled in and then moved away to find England captain Harry Brook's edge through to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis. Root followed in the next over, bowled by a ball that nipped back, and Beardman was away.

He reached five wickets in just 28 balls — the quickest five-for ever by an Australian bowler in ODIs. His victims were Brook (1), Root (17), Jordan Cox (2), Sam Curran (0), Liam Dawson (0) and Jofra Archer (11). His first three wickets were all caught behind by Inglis, and he finished with 6-24 from 7.4 overs, bowling consistently at speeds in the mid-140s kph.

The figures put Beardman into rare company. He is only the second Australian man to take five wickets or more on ODI debut, after Tony Dodemaide's 5-21 against Sri Lanka at the WACA in January 1988, and the first Australian ever to take a six-wicket haul on debut. His 6-24 is the fourth-best bowling performance by any debutant in men's ODI history, behind Charlie Cassell (7-21 for Scotland against Oman in 2024), Kagiso Rabada (6-16 for South Africa against Bangladesh in 2015) and Fidel Edwards (6-22 for West Indies against Zimbabwe in 2003).

Speaking to Mike Hussey at the innings break, Beardman admitted he had been nervous before the match. He had received his debut cap from Hussey, and his only previous international match was a T20I in Pakistan earlier this year.

I'm not sure what's just happened. 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.

England's collapse

England's openers, Ben Duckett and Tom Banton, had started steadily enough, putting on 24 for the first wicket. Then the innings fell apart. England lost seven wickets for 41 runs as Beardman and Johnson found seam and swing on the pacy drop-in wicket, and at 65-8 they were in danger of falling below their lowest ODI total of 86, set against Australia in Manchester in 2001.

Will Jacks (25) and Gus Atkinson (29 not out) saved them from that embarrassment with a 37-run ninth-wicket stand, but the first eight England wickets had combined for just 65 runs, and the last two partnerships added 66. It was England's fifth-lowest ODI score on Australian soil against the hosts.

Root, playing his 200th ODI, made 17. Banton's 25 was one of only three England scores above 20. Johnson, who also took a spectacular one-handed return catch to dismiss Jamie Overton, finished with career-best figures of 3-42, and Bartlett took 1-46.

The chase

Australia's chase was never in doubt, even though Travis Head fell for a first-ball duck to Atkinson and Cooper Connolly went for 27. Marsh led from the front with 50 off 30 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes, and Josh Inglis (23 not out) and Matt Renshaw (26 not out) saw Australia home at 132-3 in 23.3 overs — a seven-wicket win with 159 balls to spare.

A day of two stories for Australia

The win gave Australian cricket some welcome relief after a turbulent week. Hours before the toss, Cummins had held an extraordinary press conference in Sydney to answer Usman Khawaja's claims in his memoir, Sabr, that the whole Australian team knew about the 2018 ball-tampering plot — claims Cummins called "complete and utter nonsense".

Beardman's performance was also a glimpse of Australia's future. The home side were without their front-line pace attack — Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland are all resting ahead of the four-Test series against New Zealand and next year's Test tours to India and England — and the 21-year-old, who plays for Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers and was player of the match in Australia's 2024 Under-19 World Cup final win, stepped straight into the gap.

What happens next

The series moves to Adelaide for the second ODI on Sunday, 15 November, with the third ODI in Hobart on 18 November. England must win in Adelaide to keep the series alive. After the ODIs, the teams play five T20Is, starting in Melbourne on 21 November.

FAQs

What are the best bowling figures by an Australian on ODI debut?

Mahli Beardman's 6-24 against England in Perth on 13 November 2026. He broke Tony Dodemaide's record of 5-21 against Sri Lanka at the WACA in January 1988, which had stood for 38 years.

How did England get bowled out for 131?

England lost seven wickets for 41 runs after a steady start, slumping to 65-8 before Will Jacks and Gus Atkinson added 37 for the ninth wicket. Beardman took 6-24 and Spencer Johnson 3-42.

Who top-scored for Australia in the chase?

Captain Mitchell Marsh, with 50 off 30 balls. Josh Inglis (23 not out) and Matt Renshaw (26 not out) finished the job as Australia reached 132-3 in 23.3 overs.

Why were Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Boland missing?

Australia's front-line pace bowlers are resting ahead of the four-Test series against New Zealand, which starts in December, and next year's Test tours to India and England.

When is the second ODI?

The second ODI is in Adelaide on Sunday, 15 November 2026. The third ODI is in Hobart on 18 November, followed by five T20Is.

Conclusion

Debuts do not come much better than this. On a day when Australian cricket needed something to cheer, a 21-year-old from Perth produced the best ODI debut figures in his country's history and blew England away inside 34 overs. England now have two days to regroup before Adelaide — and Australia have found a fast bowler who looks ready for much bigger stages.

Also on CricVic: Pat Cummins Calls Khawaja's Sandpaper Claims 'Complete and Utter Nonsense' and Jacob Bethell Ruled Out of England's White-Ball Tour of Australia With Knee Injury

Sources: ICC — Australia fast bowler breaks 38-year record with England haul, ESPNcricinfo — Beardman's six-for on debut gives Australia momentary relief from sandpapergate, Cricbuzz — Australia vs England, 1st ODI scorecard