Liam Livingstone. (Photo Source: Philip Brown/Getty Images)
England all-rounder Liam Livingstone crushed Mitchell Starc in his final over in the fourth ODI at Lord’s. The veteran seamer had a tough night, leaking 52 runs in seven overs without any success, and in the final over, he got smashed four sixes and a boundary as he ended up giving away 70 runs in eight overs. England posted 312 runs in 39 overs in the first innings and eventually won the game by 186 runs.
The final over of England’s innings arguably changed the dynamics. Livingstone started the over with a six-over long-on and played a dot in the second ball. In the third delivery, he flicked the ball to send it to the stands. Starc lost his momentum by then and bowled a full-toss in the fourth delivery and Livingstone punished it by hitting over long-off. He also completed his half-century with the six.
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Starc bowled short in the fifth delivery and Livingstone was ready for that as he pulled over deep square leg to hit his third consecutive six. In the final delivery, the 31-year-old pushed one to the backward point to hit a boundary. He finished the innings on a high note and gave confidence to the team. In the second innings, the England bowlers reigned supreme and got the job done as the series now stands 2-2.
Watch the video below:
6️⃣▪️6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣4️⃣
Incredible final over hitting from Liam Livingstone 💪💥
🏴 #ENGvAUS 🇦🇺 | @liaml4893 pic.twitter.com/qfEDxOM88N
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 27, 2024
England completely outplayed us: Mitchell Marsh
After a crushing defeat, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh noted that England outplayed them at Lord’s. He also lauded Livingstone for playing a ‘gem of innings’. He added that the batters were disappointed as they needed one or two big partnerships but the middle order collapsed under pressure, which resulted in a heavy defeat.
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“Fair play to England, they put us under a lot of pressure. They completely outplayed us. Probably a bit above par, Liam Livingstone played a gem of an innings. In a run-chase like that, you need one or two big partnerships. England bowled really well, we lost wickets continuously. That’s cricket,” Marsh said.