Livingstone blasts Phoenix to victory after fat slob sledge
- BBC News
This video can not be played
Phenomenal batting! - Livingstone hits 26 off five deliveries
The Hundred mens competition, Edgbaston
Oval Invincibles 180-8 (100 balls): Ferreira 63 (29); Boult 2-20
Birmingham Phoenix 182-6 (98 balls): Livingstone 69* (27); Mahmood 3-28
Birmingham Phoenix won by four wickets
A fired-up Liam Livingstone brilliantly took down Rashid Khan to lead Birmingham Phoenix home in a thrilling and unlikely chase of 181 against defending champions Oval Invincibles in the mens Hundred.
The Phoenix, beaten in both of their first two fixtures, needed 61 runs from 24 balls with six wickets left before captain Livingstone struck five balls from superstar Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid for 26 runs, with three sixes and two fours.
With 22 required from the last 10, he thrashed Tom Curran for another two sixes to put Phoenix on the brink.
Then, with three to defend from the last five, Saqib Mahmood took two wickets in two balls but Benny Howell drove a four and Livingstone finished 69 not out from 27 - Phoenix completing the third-highest chase in The Hundred with four wickets and two balls to spare.
There was needle between the sides throughout the contest, with Curran appearing to celebrate in the direction of Livingstone after he dismissed Jacob Bethell for eight, at which stage Livingstone had 16.
"I have no idea why Tom started to spray me," Livingstone told BBC Two.
"He is one of my good friends and he called me a fat slob or something so I thought lets hope you dont go for a few if you come back at the death and he did so Im kind of happy with that."
Rashids final figures - 0-59 from 20 balls - are the most expensive in the tournament as the Invincibles winning start to the tournament ended.
Donovan Ferreira had seemingly put them in control by hitting a brutal 63 from 29 balls to lift the Invincibles to 180-8.
Instead, Livingstone, backed up by 51 from 29 by opener Will Smeed, produced one of the best knocks in The Hundred, sealing one of the more improbable victories.
This video can not be played
Listen to Liam Livingstone micd up in the field
When Rashid began his final set, his side had an 87% chance of winning according to analysts CricViz, with Ben Duckett, Joe Clarke, Bethell and Smeed all out.
Five balls later that had swung to 59% in favour of the Phoenix – Livingstone playing a sensational hand.
Rashid has had a testing 18 months since back surgery after the 2023 World Cup but had been back to something approaching his best in Invincibles first two matches.
He had the most wickets, best economy-rate and best-strike rate of any bowler in the mens competition before this match.
Livingstone, though, has a remarkably good record against the worlds most sought-after spinner.
His three sixes – the first timed down the ground, the second heaved over square leg and the third, the biggest of the lot, slog-swept over mid-wicket – took his tally to 21 off Rashid in T20s. Thats nine more than any other batter.
He has now scored 200 runs off 102 balls from Rashid in T20s, which is the most by any batter. His strike-rate of 192 against Rashid is also the worlds best.
"I have confidence in having played him before," Livingstone told Sky Sports.
"I have a decent record against Rash by stepping across and slogging him.
"I tried to play a couple of balls with a straight bat. I am safer trying to slog him."
There are four games on Wednesday - two mens and two womens.
Southern Brave host Northern Superchargers with the womens match starting at 11:30 BST and the mens 15:00.
Welsh Fire also host Manchester Originals in the womens competition from 15:00 with the men following from 18:30.
You can follow ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.
