Liam Livingstone hopes England can get to grips with dewy Pakistan conditions
England recorded the highest total in tournament history on Saturday but it was overtaken hours later by Australia.
Liam Livingstone admitted England are yet to get to grips with the fluctuating conditions in Pakistan but he is still hopeful about their Champions Trophy prospects.
England recorded the highest total in tournament history on Saturday but it was overtaken hours later by Australia, who recovered from 136 for four to chase 352 following Josh Inglis’ majestic 120 not out.
While the flat Lahore pitch slowed up towards the end of England’s innings, Australia found the evening dew helped the ball skid on, making batting easier under lights as as they claimed a five-wicket win.
Ahead of crunch ties against Afghanistan at the same venue on Wednesday and South Africa next Saturday, Livingstone is concerned about batting first again, arguing getting 30 runs over par is a bare minimum.
“Maybe even more,” he said after England’s first ODI in Pakistan since December 2005. “We knew that there was going to be dew from the training the couple of days before but we didn’t realise how much.
“Ultimately you don’t know. Some days it comes in, some days it doesn’t. We haven’t played loads of cricket here so we don’t really know. I feel 350 was enough if both innings had been in the day.
“Unfortunately, with day-night cricket, conditions usually change. I think they changed a hell of a lot towards the end of our bowling innings, which changed the course of the game.
“(Initially) the ball was going out in the outfield, it was going back dry. I remember towards the end of my first spell, I got a ball back from the outfield, it was pretty wet and I was like ‘s***’.”
England likely have to win their remaining two Group B fixtures to stand a chance of progressing to the semi-finals but Livingstone remains upbeat despite them having lost their last five ODIs.
“We know what we have to do,” he said. “If we win four games of cricket, we can win the Champions Trophy, and that’s all that really matters for us now.
“I think it’s just going to take one game where we really get going and turn things around. It’s not nice when you lose but I think take the result out of it, there was a hell of a lot of positivity.
“There’s a saying in sport: don’t get too high when you’re high, don’t get too low when you’re low. And I think that’s pretty much how we are.”
While Ben Duckett’s 165 and Joe Root’s 68 had set England up for a score approaching 400, they settled for 351 for eight as Harry Brook, Jos Buttler and Livingstone made 40 off 44 deliveries between them.
Livingstone made 14 to continue a lean run at global events, where he averages a combined 15.4 with a top score of 33 from three T20 World Cups, one 50-over equivalent and the ongoing Champions Trophy.
In mitigation, he often bats at number six or seven, when he is required to rescue an innings after a clatter of wickets or start teeing off near enough from ball one to continue his side’s momentum.
Having salvaged his 50-over career against Australia last summer and in the Caribbean in November, when he batted at number five, he has failed to reach 15 in four of his last five innings.
“I feel like whenever I’ve been higher up in the order, it’s a little bit of an easier role,” the all-rounder added. “I would love to be able to face more balls and get in rhythm, but it is what it is.
“It requires a very big skillset to be able to do it really well. And that’s a little bit frustrating for me as I felt like I’ve done a lot of things really well throughout last summer.
“I’m trying my hardest to contribute to winning games of cricket. It is a difficult role, but it’s a very rewarding role when you do come off and when you get runs in that role.”
