[2][4][5] Having first played for Otago's Second XI in January 2009, Beard made his first-class cricket debut two months later for the side, against Auckland.
[8][9] Beard took his best Twenty20 cricket bowling figures of 4/16 against Wellington in December 2012[10] and later in the same season scored his only first-class century.
Batting as a nightwatchman he made 188 runs against Auckland in February 2013, and innings that included 31 fours and one six and was described as "remarkable" by CricInfo.
Beard had already qualified to trade as a real estate agent and initially planned to take some time away from cricket whilst working in that industry.
[13][14] He played his last matches for Otago during the 2015–16 Plunket Shield and later chose to retire from cricket and become a full-time real estate agent.