Liam Livingstone delivered a stunning, match-winning performance in The Hundred, complete with an unexpected mid-game sledge from a close friend — and a touch of payback by the end. The Birmingham Phoenix star smashed an unbeaten 69 from just 27 balls, guiding his team to their first victory of the season with a thrilling run chase against defending champions Oval Invincibles at Edgbaston on Saturday.
After the game, Livingstone revealed that England teammate and good friend Tom Curran had aimed a cheeky jibe at him during the contest.
“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 ‘let’s hope you don’t go for a few if you come back at the death’ and he did so I’m kind of happy with that.”
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Curran’s words came back to bite him during the penultimate set of five balls. With Phoenix needing 22 runs from the final 10 deliveries, Curran was handed the 91–95 ball stretch but conceded two sixes, a four, a two, and a single — a costly 19-run over that left just three required from the last five balls. Despite losing a couple of wickets late, Phoenix crossed the finish line comfortably for a four-wicket win.
“Very special, we needed it,” Livingstone said at the post-match presentation. “They’re a great team, won it two years in a row. Nice to get one over them and hopefully give us some momentum. [The approach was to] try and get used to the pitch and use the bounce, try and take down their spinners. I back myself if bowlers miss, I can hit, and thankfully it came off.”
WATCH NOW!Liam Livingstone has just scored 26 runs off 5 Rashid Khan balls#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/fstSjKPa13
The Hundred (@thehundred) August 12, 2025
One of the most explosive passages of Livingstone’s innings came against Rashid Khan, one of the finest bowlers in world cricket. The English batter took 26 runs off just five balls from the Afghan leg-spinner — three sixes and two fours — becoming the first player in T20 history (The Hundred is officially counted as part of the format) to accumulate more than 200 career runs against Rashid.
“I’ve got a pretty good record just by stepping across and slogging him. It’s worked in the past. I can’t pick him so just try to do it that way,” Livingstone admitted.
For Phoenix, who had been rooted to the bottom of the table before this match, the win offers a glimmer of hope for a turnaround. Still, Livingstone acknowledged there is work to be done. “We let ourselves down a bit in the field. Something we don’t want to do. Great win, got ourselves back into the tournament,” he said.
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