Australia defeat England by seven wickets in Perth ODI
Australia chased down England's 131-run total with seven wickets in hand, aided by Mahli Beardman's six wickets on debut.
Australia secured a seven-wicket victory over England in the first one-day international at Perth, reaching the target of 132 runs with 26.3 overs to spare. England were bowled out for 131 in 33.4 overs, with Mahli Beardman claiming six wickets for 24 runs on his ODI debut. Beardman's wickets included opening batsmen Harry Brook and Joe Root, as well as Tom Banton, Jordan Cox and Sam Curran in his first five overs.
Captain Mitchell Marsh led the Australian chase, scoring a rapid 50 off 29 balls, while teammate Connor Connolly added 27. Australia finished at 132-3 in 23.3 overs.
England's batting struggled against the pace and bounce of the Perth surface, with only Gus Atkinson remaining unbeaten on 29. Former England captain Michael Vaughan said the team needed to address basic technical errors quickly if they aim to compete in next year's World Cup.
Coach Brendon McCullum acknowledged that England had not adapted swiftly to the conditions, noting that the pitch behaved like a "trampoline" and that the team had anticipated a low-scoring contest but fell short of expectations.
The win comes amid ongoing discussion of the sandpaper scandal affecting Australian cricket, though the result provided a distraction from the controversy. The second ODI of the series is scheduled for Sunday in Adelaide.