Rising star Mahli Beardman blew England away on his international debut in Perth, then thanked Australian greats Dennis Lillee and Mitchell Johnson for helping him reach the top.
Beardman has been tipped for big things since being named as player of the match in the Under-19 World Cup final two years ago and delivered a huge performance on his first senior outing.
The 21-year-old claimed figures of six for 24 as England were bowled out for just 131 in a seven-wicket thrashing in the first One Day International, with Harry Brook and Joe Root his first two international scalps.
Beardman’s origin story pivots around a chance encounter that put him on the radar of Lillee – one of the most revered fast bowlers in Australian history and the perfect mentor for an aspiring youngster.
“DK has been amazing for me. He’s one of the greats of the game,” Beardman said after putting the tourists to the sword.
“I was lucky enough when I was 14 or 15, bowling at a bin down the side of a house, that a family friend saw me and thought there was a little bit of air speed there. He knew DK, he got in contact and said ‘there’s this kid who’s got some decent wheels if you’d be willing to work with him’.
“DK said no at the start but, through my persistence, after a couple of months he gave in and we did a session. Since then I’ve been fortunate to have DK in my corner and he’s been incredible for me.”
Beardman currently plays domestic cricket for Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers, having made his List-A cricket debut back in November 2023.
He also credits Johnson, an adopted son of Western Australia, for lighting a spark in him with his thrilling displays against Sir Alastair Cook’s England team.
“Mitchell Johnson in that 2013/14 Ashes series was the reason I picked up a cricket ball in the first place,” said Beardman.
“I’ve been lucky to have some chats with Mitch, he’s a great man, and what he did for cricket inspired me the most.”
It was a dispiriting return to Optus Stadium for England and their head coach Brendon McCullum, coming almost exactly a year since their two-day loss at the start of the 2025/26 Ashes.
They were bowled out cheaply on both occasions in that match as well, leaving McCullum to question the way their batters have settled into a surface renowned for its pace and bounce.
“We talked extensively leading into the game about the surface here. It’s a bit like batting on a trampoline,” he told TNT Sports.
“There are certain shots that are very difficult to execute here and we talked about trying to put those away.
“We probably knew we were in for a low-scoring contest, but we expected to get a few more runs than 131. We need to be able to adapt to conditions a bit more, we need to scrap a bit more.”
England face a quick turnaround as they look to put the disappointment behind them, flying on to Adelaide for Sunday’s second ODI without time to fit in a net session.
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