A phenomenal Liam Livingstone innings secured England an unlikely victory and levelled the series in the West Indies, as the visitors chased down an imposing 329 in Antigua.
Following England’s defeat in the opening match on Thursday, captain Livingstone implored his side to “bat smarter”. This is what he meant, as he prodded then crashed his way to a maiden one-day international century and match-winning 124 not out. His first fifty had taken him 60 balls, his second took 17.
Faced with 329 to win after the West Indies captain, Shai Hope, made a superb 117, England showed the restraint that eluded them on Thursday, as on top of Livingstone’s century, all of Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell and Sam Curran made half centuries.
Livingstone and Curran combined for the key partnership. With 169 to win from 22 overs and four wickets down, England were behind the game but not by miles. Their 50 partnership arrived in 47 balls but they soon hit the brakes as the pair looked to take the contest as deep as possible. At one stage, they didn’t score a boundary for 34 balls before two arrived in consecutive deliveries.
With 10 overs to go and exactly 100 runs required, Livingstone flipped the switch. Faced with the left-arm spin of Gudakesh Motie, he struck him for three sixes across two overs. But it was only the beginning of Livingstone’s onslaught. West Indies’ 328 was a record ODI total at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and until Jayden Seales delivered the 45th over it looked like it would be enough. Livingstone blazed 22 off six legal deliveries which included two enormous sixes over extra cover. In the space of a couple of balls, the game turned from in the hosts’ favour, to in the balance, to in England’s hand.
Six weeks ago, England had dropped Livingstone for the ODIs against Australia before Jos Buttler’s calf injury gave him a route back in. In an honest conversation with managing director Rob Key, Livingstone said his one complaint was that he felt he hadn’t been given enough responsibility over the past two years. Often batting at seven and bowling a handful of overs, he hadn’t had the chance to dictate matches. Here, as captain, he bowled seven overs, batted five and played the best innings of his career.
However, this was by no means the complete performance from England. Their showing in the field was bizarre, as four catches were dropped, sloppy mistakes were made and stern words between teammates were traded. For only the second time in England’s history, they used nine bowlers across an innings. In theory, it was Livingstone being proactive, but in reality, it came across as muddled. Of England’s four specialist bowlers in Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid and John Turner, only Rashid bowled his full allocation with the remaining three left with seven overs spare between them. Seven overs that were instead bowled by the part-time spinners Dan Mousley, Bethell and Will Jacks who went wicketless and conceded 54 runs.
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But where clarity was lacking in the field, it was present in abundance with the bat. The winning moment came in a flash, as with 26 required off 24 balls, Livingstone struck Shamar Joseph for three sixes and a four to leave two runs required off the last three overs. A single from Mousley meant that fittingly, it was Livingstone who struck the winning runs and lifted his arms to the air in celebration. He had always asked for extra responsibility in an England shirt, and here he proved why.
