June 24 debut! Mahli Beardman runs through England and Australia lead 1-0

Australia’s Mahli Beardman leaves the field after taking six wickets (AP/PTI) Debutant Mahli Beardman produced a sensational performance with the ball to take 6/24 to give Australia a comfortable seven-wicket victory over England in the first ODI in Perth on Friday.England’s batting line-up crumbled to just 131 in 33.4 overs after Australia opted to bowl. The hosts made light work of the chase, reaching 132/3 in 23.3 overs, with skipper Mitch Marsh leading the charge with a blistering half-century.For Beardman, a dream debut was an opportunity to love.“It’s just a great privilege and honor to be able to represent my country and then to be able to go out and take a few wickets as well is just the icing on the cake,” he said.But the contest has developed amid fresh tensions in Australian cricket following the release of Usman Khawaja’s autobiography this week. The former Australian batsman 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 denied the allegations, calling them “100% incorrect” during an hour-long press conference on Friday. Meanwhile, David Warner backed Khawaja’s version during the televised commentary. Warner himself received a 12-month ban for his part in the scandal.On the field, Australia’s fast bowlers soon penetrated the lively surface of Perth Stadium. Spencer Johnson (3/42) and Xavier Bartlett (1/46) accounted for Ben Duckett who scored nine and Tom Banton who managed 25.Beardman then took center stage and dismantled England’s middle and lower order with an excellent 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 the catches to dismiss England skipper 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 unscathed with the wickets as Beardman became the first Australian since Tony Dodemadei in 1988 to take five wickets on ODI debut.He’s not done yet. Beardman completed his six-wicket haul by having Jofra Archer caught at gully for 11. Gus Atkinson, England’s top run-scorer with 29 not out, was 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 and smashed four sixes on his way to a quick fifty before being dismissed in the deep by Jamie Overton (1/35).Archer then removed Cooper Connolly for 27 but England had nothing left to offer. Matt Renshaw joined Inglis at the crease and the pair completed the chase without further damage.The win gives Australia a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. The second leg is played in Adelaide on Sunday, with the final scheduled for Wednesday in Hobart.