
Australia vs England 2nd ODI: Beardman Rested as Australia Chase Series Win in Adelaide
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Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first in the second ODI against England at Adelaide Oval on Sunday 15 November 2026, with the hosts chasing the win that would seal the three-match series after their seven-wicket rout in Perth. The headline team news was the absence of debut hero Mahli Beardman, rested after his record-breaking six-wicket haul two days earlier, with Riley Meredith taking his place in the side.
England, 1-0 down and with their batting under scrutiny after being dismissed for 131 in the opener, had to find a response in Adelaide or watch the series slip away with a match still to play.
Australia vs England 2nd ODI — Quick Reference Summary
| Detail | Confirmed position |
|---|---|
| Fixture | Australia vs England, 2nd ODI |
| Date | Sunday, 15 November 2026 |
| Venue | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide |
| Start time | 2:00 PM local time, 3:30 AM GMT |
| Series | England tour of Australia 2026 — three ODIs, then five T20 Internationals |
| Series score | Australia lead 1-0 |
| Toss | Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first |
| Big team news | Mahli Beardman rested; Riley Meredith comes in |
| England change | Sonny Baker comes in for Jamie Overton |
| How to watch (UK) | TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max |
Beardman Rested: Why Australia Left Out Their Perth Hero
Beardman was the story of the series opener, yet he watched the second match from the sidelines. Captain Mitchell Marsh explained the call at the toss, saying the 21-year-old was a tough ask on a 48-hour turnaround and that he rests today, with Riley Meredith coming in.
The decision underlines how quickly Beardman has gone from prospect to prized asset. Born on 31 August 2005 in Dunsborough, Western Australia, the right-arm fast-medium bowler made his One-Day Cup debut for Western Australia at 18 in November 2023 and his T20 International debut against Pakistan in Lahore on 29 January 2026. He was part of Australia’s victorious 2024 ICC Under-19 World Cup campaign in South Africa and plays for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League.
Australia’s caution makes sense. A young quick bowling at speeds above 140 km/h, asked to back up a career-defining performance within two days, is exactly the kind of workload modern teams manage carefully. Meredith, a like-for-like pace option, stepped into the role instead.
Perth Recap: How Beardman’s 6-24 Dismantled England
The first ODI at Perth Stadium on Friday 13 November 2026 lasted barely more than a session of meaningful contest. England, sent in after Marsh won the toss, collapsed to 65 for 8 before folding for 131 in 33.4 overs. Beardman, introduced in the 10th over, struck with his eighth delivery in ODI cricket, removing captain Harry Brook for 1, then former captain Joe Root for 17 in his next over, as Cricbuzz’s report on Beardman’s dream debut describes.
His figures of 6 for 24 in 7.4 overs were the best by an Australian man on an ODI debut, breaking a 38-year-old record held by Tony Dodemaide, whose 5 for 21 against Sri Lanka in 1988 had stood since then. Beardman became only the second Australian man to take a five-wicket haul on ODI debut and, at 21 years and 74 days, the fifth-youngest bowler to do so.
First ODI scorecard — Perth, 13 November 2026
| Innings | Score |
|---|---|
| England | 131 all out in 33.4 overs (Gus Atkinson 29 not out; Mahli Beardman 6-24, Spencer Johnson 3-42) |
| Australia | 132 for 3 in 23.3 overs (Mitchell Marsh 50 off 30 balls) |
| Result | Australia won by seven wickets, with 159 balls to spare |
| Crowd | 27,313 at Perth Stadium |
| Player of the match | Mahli Beardman |
Marsh finished the job in style, smashing 50 from 30 balls after Travis Head fell to a first-ball duck, and Australia cruised home with more than 26 overs unused. The defeat left familiar questions hanging over England’s adaptability under head coach Brendon McCullum, with the tourists struggling badly on a pacy Perth surface after batting-friendly conditions in Pakistan.
Adelaide Team News: Meredith In, Baker Gets His Chance
Both sides made one change for the second match. Australia replaced Beardman with Meredith, while England brought in Sonny Baker for Jamie Overton. Harry Brook said at the toss that he would have bowled first too, adding that England had to be more positive after the Perth collapse.
Playing XIs — 2nd ODI, Adelaide Oval
| Australia | England |
|---|---|
| Travis Head | Ben Duckett |
| Mitchell Marsh (captain) | Tom Banton |
| Cooper Connolly | Joe Root |
| Josh Inglis (wicketkeeper) | Harry Brook (captain) |
| Matt Renshaw | Jordan Cox |
| Cameron Green | Sam Curran |
| Jack Edwards | Will Jacks |
| Xavier Bartlett | Liam Dawson |
| Adam Zampa | Gus Atkinson |
| Spencer Johnson | Sonny Baker |
| Riley Meredith | Jofra Archer |
The match is the second of three ODIs on England’s white-ball tour of Australia, with five T20 Internationals to follow, and the whole tour is live on TNT Sports in the UK. It is not the only big sporting story of the weekend — the UFC 334 fight card at Madison Square Garden also drew heavy search interest — but for cricket fans, Adelaide is where the series will be decided one way or another.
England’s Fightback: Banton and Root Steady the Ship
England’s innings began badly again. Ben Duckett was caught for 9 off Xavier Bartlett, leaving the tourists 21 for 1 after 5.4 overs, and Marsh burned an early review on an LBW appeal against Bartlett that failed on height.
This time, though, England found a response. Tom Banton and Joe Root rebuilt the innings, and at the time of writing England had reached 168 for 2 after 28.5 overs, with Banton unbeaten on 91 from 80 balls and Root dismissed for 62 from 68. It was a marked contrast to Perth, where the top order had folded inside 13 overs for 41 runs, and it gave England something to defend for the first time in the series.
Series Stakes: What a Win in Adelaide Would Mean
An Australian win in Adelaide seals the series 2-0 with one match still to play, and it would confirm the hosts’ dominance in a white-ball contest that has so far been one-sided. For England, the equation is simple: win and the series goes to a decider, lose and the remaining fixtures become damage limitation.
The wider context matters too. England arrived in Australia after a run of batting-friendly conditions in Pakistan and have looked short of answers on quicker surfaces, a weakness Australia’s pace attack has exposed ruthlessly. A competitive total in Adelaide would at least show the tourists can adapt, while another collapse would deepen the scrutiny on Brook’s young side.
For Australia, the series is also a chance to blood the next generation. Beardman’s emergence has already given them a new pace option for the years ahead, and managing him carefully through this series suggests the selectors see him as a long-term asset rather than a one-match story. The weekend has already delivered one major managerial twist in English sport, with Mauricio Pochettino’s Manchester United appointment confirmed on Friday, and Adelaide now offers the cricketing equivalent of a statement result.
Frequently asked questions
Q: When and where is the Australia vs England 2nd ODI?
A: The match is on Sunday 15 November 2026 at Adelaide Oval, starting at 2:00 PM local time, which is 3:30 AM GMT.
Q: Why is Mahli Beardman not playing in the 2nd ODI?
A: Australia rested him because of the 48-hour turnaround after his debut on Friday. Captain Mitchell Marsh said it was tough for a young quick to back up so quickly, and Riley Meredith replaced him.
Q: What happened in the first ODI in Perth?
A: England were bowled out for 131 in 33.4 overs, with Beardman taking 6 for 24 on debut. Australia chased the target down in 23.3 overs, winning by seven wickets, with Mitchell Marsh making 50 from 30 balls.
Q: Who won the toss in the 2nd ODI?
A: Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first. England captain Harry Brook said he would have bowled too.
Q: How can I watch the Australia vs England 2nd ODI in the UK?
A: The match is live on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max, with TNT Sports’ live coverage of the second ODI carrying ball-by-ball updates from Adelaide Oval.
Setting the record straight
“Beardman was dropped for bowling badly.” Not correct. Marsh joked at the toss that Beardman “didn’t bowl very well”, then confirmed the real reason was rest after a 48-hour turnaround. He had just taken 6 for 24, the best figures by an Australian on ODI debut.
“England have already lost the series.” Not correct. Australia lead 1-0 in a three-match series. England must win in Adelaide to keep the series alive, and a win there takes it to a decider.
“Beardman’s 6-24 was the best ODI debut figures ever.” Not correct. It was the best by an Australian man on ODI debut, breaking Tony Dodemaide’s 38-year-old record. Beardman is the fifth player in the world to take a six-wicket haul on ODI debut.



