Liam Livingstone can finish matches in a hurry. Known for his six-hitting abilities, the Englishman gave a dominating display in the last league match of this year’s IPL at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, helping Punjab Kings chase down a target of 158 to win by five wickets with 4.5 overs to spare.
Livingstone remained unbeaten on 49, scoring at a strike rate of nearly 223, smashing five sixes and two fours. With Sunday’s tally of sixes, Livingstone took his total number of sixes in this IPL to 34, second behind fellow Englishman, Jos Buttler of Rajasthan Royals (37).
The 28-year-old right-hander lived a charming life on the day, having been dropped on six and 26. Sunrisers Hyderabad fielders have themselves to blame for the loss.
When a batsman of the class of Livingstone is dropped early in the innings, he is going to make the opposition pay dearly. That’s what happened. Livingstone had made his intentions clear, i.e. go after the SRH bowling to finish the match in a hurry. The win only lifted them to sixth place with 14 points.
Livingstone walked out to bat at No. 5, the fall of PBKS captain Mayank Agarwal, who was battling pain after being hit around the rib area by Umran Malik. When Livingstone joined opener Shikhar Dhawan at the crease, PBKS needed 87 in 12.1 overs. Livingstone opened his account with a pull-over mid-wicket off off-spinner Washington Sundar in the first ball he faced.
However, in the next over off Umran Malik, he went for another big strike and was dropped by Sundar at long-on, though it was a difficult chance. The ball fell low in front of the diving Sundar, who got his hands to it. Once given a life, Livingstone needed no second invitation to go after the bowling. He dealt in sixes in the same over, sending Malik over long-off and another over mid-wicket.
There was no stopping the Englishman on the day. He built a partnership of 41 in 28 balls for the fourth wicket with Dhawan, the left-hander’s contribution in the stand being only 12 as he was happy watching the Englishman send the SRH bowlers on a leather hunt.
Livingstone took a break for a brief while as Jitesh Sharma dealt in boundaries during his short innings of 7-ball 19. However, when Livingstone was on 26, he was given a second ‘life’ by Sundar. The batsman top-edged left-arm spinner J Suchith, the ball flying to short third-man, where Sundar dropped a sitter. At this point, PBKS needed 26 runs from 38 deliveries.
Had Livingstone been caught, PBKS would have lost all their top batsmen including Jitesh Sharma. SRH had only to bowl at the bowlers with only Kagiso Rabada known to play some shots. SRH could have fancied their chances had they held onto the catches that came their way.
Livingstone thrived on the ‘lives’ that he got and finished the game in a hurry for PBKS. SRH, on their part, were left ruing with the missed chances and settled for the eighth position.
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