Twenty-one-year-old debutant Mahli Beardman took six wickets for twenty-four runs from 7.4 overs against England on Friday, November 14, 2026, delivering the fifth six-wicket haul in one day international history.
The Record-Breaking Spell
Over the course of those 46 deliveries, sen.com.au reported that he claimed six devastating wickets, dismantling the English batting line-up while giving up only 24 runs.
Tom Morris remarked on the exact moment the young bowler secured his sixth wicket and reflected on the remarkable quality of the spell. “Mahli Beardman becomes the fifth player in one day international history to pick up six wickets on debut,” Morris said on SEN Cricket.
“What a remarkable feat for a 21-year-old who has never played a first-class game but has now announced himself on the international stage. Remember that name, Mahli Beardman,” Morris said.
Beardman Began His Cricket Journey in the Pilbara
The 21-year-old played his initial junior and representative cricket for Dampier in WA’s Pilbara after being spotted at a talent clinic in Karratha in 2017.
“He was a tiny little kid, but his bowling was absolutely natural talent,” West Pilbara Cricket Association secretary Christy Reed told ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “So fast for his size, and he absolutely loved his cricket.”
Beardman has still only played at the Perth Scorchers and has not played a first-class game yet, sen.com.au reported. He only returned from his latest back injury at the start of the domestic season in September after a recurrence of a stress fracture following his T20 international debut in January, cricket.com.au reported.
| Bowler | Wickets | Runs Conceded | Overs Bowled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahli Beardman | 6 | 24 | 7.4 |
| Spencer Johnson | 3 | 42 | – |
| Xavier Bartlett | 1 | 46 | – |
Langer’s Assessment and the English Collapse
Xavier Bartlett, 27, was also impressive with the new ball while Spencer Johnson added the wickets of Jamie Overton and Will Jacks after the scalp of Ben Duckett, according to BBC Sport.
“What a performance,” Justin Langer told sen.com.au. “I called him a dude before; he’s a terrific young bloke. What a brilliant performance, he’s such a likable person, you can see Australians falling in love with him.”
“Frankly, it’s the breath of fresh air we needed today to see a young player like that come out with a smile on his face, you know, the surfer who loves fishing and boy from the country, come out and bowl like the wind against the poms. That’s exactly what Australian cricket needed today,” Langer added.
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The wickets included Harry Brook, Joe Root, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, and Jofra Archer, sen.com.au reported. Beardman claimed England stars Brook and Root as his first scalps, cricket.com.au reported.
“Lying in bed last night, that’s not what I had planned,” Beardman told cricket.com.au. “Such an amazing game; it’s still very raw and quite surreal.”
“We did a session at South Perth and ever since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to have DK in my corner, and it’s been incredible for me,” Beardman said.
“I thought ‘X’ (Xavier Bartlett, 1-46) and ‘Spon’ (Spencer Johnson, 3-42) were amazing early, so I just picked their brain and took as much away from what they saw in the wicket as possible,” Beardman added.
Travis Head dragged on for a first-ball duck, while Mitchell Marsh clubbed four sixes over the leg side, according to BBC Sport.
“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,” Moody said.
Game two of the three-match ODI series is at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
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