Beardman takes 6-24 on debut as England are bowled out for 131 in Perth
Australia's Mahli Beardman took six wickets on his one-day international debut, bowling England out for 131 in the first ODI in Perth. England were dismissed in 33.4 overs, which is short of the 50 overs each side has in this format, because they lost all ten wickets first. BBC Sport reported the figures.
Beardman's figures were 6-24. In cricket, a bowler's figures are written as wickets taken, then runs conceded, so 6-24 means six wickets for 24 runs. No Australian has taken better figures on ODI debut.
He was at his most dangerous early. In his opening spell of five overs, he took 5-18. An over is six balls bowled by one player, and five overs is a short, sharp burst for a fast bowler. England were 65 for 8 at one stage, and the innings was already close to collapse.
One of the wickets carried extra meaning. Beardman dismissed Harry Brook, the first international wicket of his career. Brook is one of England's best-known batters, so it was a moment for a young bowler to remember.
England's top score came from Gus Atkinson, who finished unbeaten on 29. Batting near the bottom of the order, he gave the innings its only real resistance. The total was still small enough to put pressure on the chasing side.
For casual fans, the scorecard tells a simple story. A new bowler came in on debut, took the early wickets, and his team's opponents never recovered. Debuts like this can be decided in a single spell, and this one was.
The series now moves on. Further matches will show whether England can respond, and whether Beardman can repeat it. For now, the first ODI in Perth belongs to the bowler who had never played one before.
