Liam Livingstone is scoring at an incredible average of 75 after four T20 Blast innings following his IPL disappointment.
Liam Livingstone has found a positive twist in his difficult IPL experience, leading Lancashire to a seven-wicket T20 Blast victory against Durham. The 32-year-old all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 85 off just 31 balls at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, following up his 81 off 37 balls against Glamorgan in Blackpool on Sunday. His powerful hitting included eight sixes, breaking Lancashire coach Steven Croft’s record for most T20 maximums for the county with a career total of 163.
Livingstone admitted his time watching from the sidelines at Sunrisers Hyderabad during the winter motivated him to improve his game. He focused heavily on facing spin bowling in the nets to sharpen his skills. The all-rounder stated, "I came back from the IPL really hungry to play some cricket, having spent a lot of time sat on the bench." He added, "Without the three months at the IPL, working a lot on my game against spin, I don't think I could have done that last year." Livingstone highlighted improvements in shots over extra cover and mid-off against spinners, something he struggled with previously.
Livingstone also contributed with the ball by dismissing Durham opener Alex Lees. The victory came after three straight losses for Lancashire, making it a much-needed result. He enjoyed opening the batting in the shortened match, saying, "I've played a bit of T10 cricket so that helped. Yeah, it was good fun. We needed a win, that's for sure." The conditions at Chester-le-Street allowed for aggressive batting, with Livingstone suggesting, "Because it was such a good wicket, you just try to get your best players in to try and face as many balls as possible."
The all-rounder admitted he made the most of a tough situation during his IPL stint. Livingstone described the three months as "difficult" due to limited playing time but used the net sessions to refine his technique. He explained, "I knew I wasn't going to play much in the IPL, so it was a good chance to strip it back, bat a lot in the nets against really good spinners — and their spinners out there are as good as you will face in the world." He concluded, "It was some great practice and looking back now, I made the most out of a difficult three months being sat on the sidelines, not being able to do what I love."