First one-day international, Perth
England 131 (33.4 overs): Atkinson 29*; Beardman 6-24
Australia 132-3 (23.3 overs): Marsh 50, Connolly 27
Australia won by seven wickets
England meekly offered Australia respite from the ongoing sandpaper scandal by being bowled out for 131 in a seven-wicket thrashing in the first one-day international in Perth.
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Hours after Pat Cummins emphatically hit back at Usman Khawaja’s comments, Harry Brook’s England folded as 21-year-old fast bowler Mahli Beardman emerged with a stunning 6-24 on his ODI debut.
Beardman nicked off Brook in his second over for his first international wicket. Less than two hours later, bowling accurately and at good pace, he had the best figures by an Australian on ODI debut.
His second ODI wicket was the prized scalp of Joe Root for 17 and he also dismissed Tom Banton, whose 25 was one of only three scores over 20, Jordan Cox and Sam Curran in an opening spell of five overs that returned figures of 5-18.
Ben Duckett, Banton and Root, plus Beardman’s later victims Liam Dawson and Jofra Archer, fell driving in Perth – dismissals familiar from England’s wretched start to last winter’s Ashes series on the same ground.
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This was another Perth surface offering pace and bounce and England had no answer.
Talk of the sandpaper scandal still swirls around the game – the day began with David Warner accusing Cummins of throwing Khawaja “under the bus” on the Australian TV coverage – but England missed the chance to apply more misery to their oldest foe.
Captain Mitchell Marsh, who repeatedly dodged questions about ball tampering in his news conference on Thursday – thrashed a 29-ball fifty as Australia chased their target with a massive 26.3 overs to spare.
The second of three ODIs is on Sunday in Adelaide (03:30 GMT) with England, who suffered damaging defeats in the tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka last month, desperately needing a response as they attempt to build towards next year’s World Cup.
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Familiar feeling in Perth
England floundering in Perth? You’d be forgiven for thinking you were back in 2025. Next week marks a year since the last Ashes began.
On that occasion, and after minimal preparation, batters were guilty of driving on the up and gifting their wickets.
The openers here – Banton getting a thick edge to a drive with his feet planted and Ben Duckett slicing left-armer Spencer Johnson to backward point – were eerily familiar. England have had lengthy build-up here. That is no excuse this time.
In fairness to Brook, he got a good ball from Beardman which was fiddled behind. Root’s ball was of driving length, but he got a thick edge.
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Cox then tentatively nicked off from the crease for two and Curran’s issues against the short ball were laid bare when he top-edged a hook to fine leg off Beardman, who exceeded 90mph at times, for a seven-ball duck.
From 65-8, Will Jacks offered brief resistance with 25 and Gus Atkinson hit the innings’ only six 29 not out. England were still dismissed inside 34 overs – the 15th time they have been bowled out in 29 ODIs since Brendon McCullum took over as coach. Eleven of those instances have come when batting first.
“England are trying,” former England captain Michael Vaughan said on Test Match Special.
“It’s not what it was a year ago when the message was just ‘we’ll just go harder and, if we get bowled out, we’ll go harder the next time’.
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“I didn’t see that today but what I saw were some basic errors on the pitch they’re playing on and for this side to become a side that can win the World Cup in a year, they need to improve quickly.”
Beardman shines bright
Beardman’s only previous international appearance was a T20 against Pakistan in January [Getty Images]
The win will not banish all talk of sandpaper in Australia but at least provided a distraction.
It is unlikely Beardman would be playing in this series had Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood – the three fast bowlers whose role in Cape Town has been pushed back into the spotlight by Khawaja’s new book – not been rested.
Now front and centre after a young career hampered by back injuries, Beardman hinted at what future could await when those three iconic bowlers do retire.
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Using the life the pitch offered, he threatened with full balls and short and bowled an ideal line. Xavier Bartlett, 27, was also impressive with the new ball while left-armer Spencer Johnson added the wickets of Jamie Overton and Jacks after the scalp of Duckett.
Travis Head, who put England to the sword in the Perth chase a year ago, dragged on for a first-ball duck. Australia’s chase was still a formality.
Like Head before him, Marsh flogged the bowling – looking far more comfortable than England on his home ground when clubbing four sixes over the leg side.
“Batting here with extra pace and bounce you need to invest a bit more in the early part of your innings,” former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody said. “You don’t have to leave every ball, but be a bit more mindful.
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“England didn’t make the assessment and make the adjustment to be productive. I’m not saying it’s a 300 surface, but you would be disappointed with something between 230 or 250.
“There was a consistent theme in their whole innings where they were pushing at length balls which were bouncing and moving away.”
After Marsh holed out for 50 and Cooper Connolly 27, Josh Inglis and Matthew Renshaw calmly steered Australia to their win.
They took their time but only twice before had they beaten England with as many balls to spare.