Debutant Mahli Beardman produced a sensational performance with the ball, claiming 6/24 to power Australia to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over England in the first ODI in Perth on Friday.England’s batting line-up crumbled for just 131 in 33.4 overs after Australia elected to bowl. The hosts made light work of the chase, getting to 132/3 in 23.3 overs, with captain Mitch Marsh leading the charge through a blistering half-century.For Beardman, the dream debut was an occasion to cherish.“It’s just a great privilege and honour to be able to represent my country, and then to be able to go out and take a few wickets as well is just a cherry on top,” he said.The contest, however, unfolded amid fresh tensions in Australian cricket following the publication of Usman Khawaja’s autobiography this week. The former Australia batter claimed that knowledge of the 2018 ball-tampering episode in Cape Town was not limited to the players who were eventually punished.Current Test captain Pat Cummins strongly rejected the allegations, describing them as “100% wrong” during an hour-long press conference on Friday. David Warner, meanwhile, backed Khawaja’s version while on television commentary. Warner himself had received a 12-month playing ban for his involvement in the scandal.On the field, Australia’s fast bowlers made early inroads on a lively Perth Stadium surface. Spencer Johnson (3/42) and Xavier Bartlett (1/46) accounted for openers Ben Duckett, who scored nine, and Tom Banton, who managed 25.Beardman then took centre stage, dismantling England’s middle and lower order with a superb display of seam bowling. The Western Australia pacer consistently hit the right lengths and extracted movement off the pitch, making life difficult for the visitors.Wicketkeeper Josh Inglis held catches to dismiss England captain Harry Brook for one, Joe Root for 17 and Jordan Cox for two, all falling to the 21-year-old right-arm quick.Sam Curran and Liam Dawson departed without troubling the scorers as Beardman became the first Australian since Tony Dodemaide in 1988 to claim five wickets on ODI debut.He was not finished yet. Beardman completed his six-wicket haul by having Jofra Archer caught at gully for 11. Gus Atkinson, England’s highest scorer with an unbeaten 29, was left stranded as the innings folded.England briefly threatened to make the chase interesting when Atkinson bowled Travis Head for a golden duck in the second over. However, Marsh quickly took control, smashing four sixes on his way to a rapid fifty before Jamie Overton (1/35) dismissed him in the deep.Archer then removed Cooper Connolly for 27, but England had little left to offer. Matt Renshaw joined Inglis at the crease, and the pair completed the chase without further damage.The victory gives Australia a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. The second match will be played in Adelaide on Sunday, with the final game scheduled in Hobart on Wednesday.
