Mahli Beardman Rested for Second ODI as Australia Chase Series Win Over England in Adelaide
Mahli Beardman rested for the second ODI in Adelaide on Sunday, two days after the 21-year-old fast bowler tore through England with six wickets for 24 runs on debut in Perth. Australia lead the three-match series 1-0 and can seal it at Adelaide Oval, with Riley Meredith stepping into the side in Beardman’s place.
Cricket Australia confirmed the decision before the toss, pointing to Beardman’s recent back-injury history and a plan to build his workload rather than risk the young quick in back-to-back matches. Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to bowl first, backing his attack to repeat the Perth squeeze.
| Match | Detail |
|---|---|
| Series | Australia vs England, 3-match ODI series, 2026 |
| 1st ODI, Perth (13 Nov) | England 131 all out (33.4 overs); Australia 132/3 (23.3 overs) — Australia won by 7 wickets |
| Beardman debut | 6-24 in 7.4 overs; best figures by an Australian man on ODI debut; player of the match |
| 2nd ODI, Adelaide (15 Nov) | Beardman rested (workload management); Riley Meredith in; Marsh won toss, Australia bowling first |
| 3rd ODI | Hobart, 18 Nov 2026 |
| Series score | Australia lead 1-0 |
Six wickets in Perth turned a debut into a record
Beardman needed only his second over to announce himself, removing England captain Harry Brook for one. He finished with six wickets for 24 runs, the best figures by an Australian man on his ODI debut, as England collapsed to 65 for eight before folding for 131 in 33.4 overs. Joe Root made 17, Jordan Cox two, Sam Curran and Liam Dawson both fell without scoring, and Jofra Archer managed 11 before Gus Atkinson’s unbeaten 29 gave the total a thin layer of respectability.
Spencer Johnson took three for 42 in support, and Australia’s chase was never in doubt. Mitchell Marsh smashed 50 from 30 balls as the hosts reached 132 for three in 23.3 overs, winning by seven wickets with 159 balls to spare in front of 27,313 fans at Perth Stadium. The scale of the defeat left England’s batting under immediate scrutiny, and the six-wicket debut that set up the win became the talking point of the series overnight.
Why Australia are protecting their new fast bowler
Resting a bowler straight after the best debut in his country’s ODI history looks cautious, but Cricket Australia’s reasoning is straightforward. Beardman has a recent back-injury history, and the short turnaround between Perth on Friday and Adelaide on Sunday left little recovery time for a 21-year-old fast bowler still building his capacity. The plan is for him to return for the third ODI in Hobart on 18 November, with the management of his workload treated as more valuable than one more outing in a series Australia already lead.
Riley Meredith comes in as the replacement, and the change tests the depth Australia have been building around their pace group. Marsh’s decision to bowl first at the toss underlined the hosts’ confidence that their attack, even without its newest star, can put England under the same pressure Perth produced.
England’s response starts with the top order
England’s problems in Perth were concentrated at the top, where Beardman removed Brook, Root and Cox inside the first ten overs and the middle order never recovered. Brook has backed his side to bounce back in Adelaide, and the second match is now a straight test of whether the tourists can adapt to Australian conditions after arriving from batting-friendly pitches in Pakistan.
A win in Adelaide keeps the series alive for Hobart and steadies a tour that began with a heavy defeat. Another collapse would hand Australia the series with a match to spare and deepen the questions around England’s one-day batting ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. Like the weekend’s other big sporting draw, UFC 334, the Adelaide match is the fixture supporters in Britain and Australia are following most closely today.
What Adelaide changes for the series picture
A forecast of about a 60 percent chance of mostly light showers hangs over the Adelaide Oval, which could shorten the match or hand the bowlers extra assistance under lights. For Australia, the equation is simple: win and the series is theirs, with Beardman fresh for Hobart. For England, the task is to bat a full fifty overs and give their own bowlers something to defend.
The broader picture also favours the hosts. Australia’s pace depth means one enforced change does not weaken the attack much, while England must find runs from a top order that managed almost nothing in Perth. If the tourists repeat their first-match batting, the series will be decided before Beardman even returns.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Why is Mahli Beardman not playing the second ODI? A: Cricket Australia rested him as a workload measure because of his recent back-injury history, with a planned return for the third ODI in Hobart on 18 November.
Q: Who replaced Beardman in Adelaide? A: Riley Meredith stepped into the Australia XI for the second ODI at Adelaide Oval.
Q: What did Beardman do on his ODI debut? A: He took six wickets for 24 runs against England in Perth, the best figures by an Australian man on ODI debut, and was named player of the match.
Q: What is the score in the Australia vs England ODI series? A: Australia lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first ODI in Perth by seven wickets.
Q: What happened in the first ODI in Perth? A: England were bowled out for 131 in 33.4 overs and Australia chased 132 for three in 23.3 overs, with Mitchell Marsh making 50 from 30 balls.
One Comment