Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Western Australia has a new cricket rockstar, as Mahli Beardman wrote his name into cricketing folklore with a debut spell that had England in tatters.
On One-Day International debut at Perth Stadium, he ripped the heart out of England, becoming just the second Australian to take a five-wicket haul on debut.
Perth Stadium was rocking like the WACA of old as they watched their homegrown tyro bound in on a bouncy deck, and were cheering every ball as the old enemy rolled over for the 21-year-old.
Beardman was given the perfect platform to make his first impressions, Xavier Bartlett and Spencer Johnson putting the visitors on the back foot by removing openers Ben Duckett and Tom Banton.
And the young West Australian didn’t wait to get into his work.
His first over in ODI cricket was a maiden, while in his second he claimed one of the most prized wickets in the international game, Harry Brook.
From back of a length, Beardman found some serious seam away from the power hitter and combined with the pace and bounce of the stereotypical Perth wicket, it was too much for the England captain to handle, nicked off for one.
If there’s any scalp more highly-prized than Brook, it’s Joe Root, and after Cooper Connolly dropped him at backward point on three, the Aussies were desperate to make up for it.
And Beardman answered the call, just shaping a full ball away from the superstar as he drove and the nick went through to Josh Inglis.
Spencer Johnson missed a tough caught and bowled chance in the next over with Sam Curran on naught but made up for it with a stunner to dismiss Jamie Overton,.
And it was quickly forgotten anyhow as Beardman had Jordan Cox’s outside edge with some swing.
At 5-56, England needed a hero, but it was Beardman wearing the cape.
He toyed with Curran, who, after being frustrated by the young quick stopping a run with a brilliant piece of fielding in his follow through, top-edged a bouncer straight to fine leg without scoring.
Beardman then completed the five-fer, Liam Dawson gifting Jack Edwards an easy catch at backward point, also without scoring.
