Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Livingstone shines as England thrash Australia to level ODI series

Livingstone's whirlwind 27-ball innings took England to 312-5 in a match reduced by rain to 39 overs

Livingstone shines as England thrash Australia to level ODI series
England's Liam Livingstone in action. Reuters/Paul Childs

LIAM LIVINGSTONE's stunning unbeaten 62 paved the way for England's colossal 186-run win over world champions Australia in the fourth one-day international at Lord's on Friday (27).

The victory pulled a youthful England ODI side level at 2-2 in a five-match series ahead of Sunday's finale at Bristol.


Livingstone's whirlwind 27-ball innings took England to 312-5 in a match reduced by rain to 39 overs per side after captain Harry Brook just fell short of successive hundred with 87.

Australia made a sound start to their daunting chase but lost six wickets for 28 runs in slumping from 68-0 to 96-6.

They were eventually dismissed for 126 inside 25 overs, with paceman Matthew Potts taking an ODI-best 4-38.

Fit-again opener Travis Head's 34 was the top score in an Australia innings where only four batsmen made it into double figures.

Adil Rashid celebrates after taking the wicket of Australia's Josh Hazlewood. Reuters/Paul Childs

This was England's second-biggest win at this level over arch-rivals Australia in terms of runs, following their mammoth 242-run success at Trent Bridge in 2018.

"We've taken all the positives and the momentum and brought them here," player-of-the-match Brook, 25, told Sky Sports. "Livingstone, we know what he's capable of and he showed that tonight."

"We just identify the times we need to apply pressure."

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh accepted his side had been outclassed.

"We were a bit off today but fair play to England they put us under pressure," he said. "They out-played us today... Liam Livingstone played a gem of an innings."

England were 16 runs shy of 300 when Mitchell Starc began to bowl the last over of their innings.

But Livingstone, renowned as a big-hitter, then hammered the left-arm fast quick for 28 runs -- the most expensive over by an Australian bowler in men's ODIs -- including four sixes in five balls, before finishing with a four.

Livingstone started the 39th over by driving Starc into the pavilion for six.

And two balls later, Livingstone lofted Starc for six over midwicket and next ball drove him for another six. The fifth ball also went for six, via a monster pull, before Livingstone scythed the last ball of the over for four.

Livingstone struck three fours and seven sixes in total as Starc finished with hugely expensive figures of 0-70 in eight overs.

Australia, who saw their run of 14 straight ODI wins ended by England at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, were up against it after that late blitz.

But Head, who made a superb 154 not out in Australia's series-opening win in Nottingham, launched Brydon Carse for a huge six onto the roof of the Mound Stand.

Carse, however, had his revenge when he bowled left-hander Head for 34 from around the wicket.

Australia's 68-1 then became 75-2 when Potts had star batsman Steven Smith caught behind for just five.

After Marsh was bowled for 28 by a superb delivery from express fast bowler Jofra Archer that nipped past his outside edge, Carse struck twice in the 15th over to remove Josh Inglis and Marnus Labuschagne.

Potts just missed out on a hat-trick before leg-spinner Adil Rashid ended the match by bowling last man Josh Hazlewood for a duck.

Earlier, Brook -- fresh from a match-winning maiden ODI century at Chester-le-Street -- came in with England faltering at 71-2.

But he responded with an exhilarating 58-ball innings including 11 fours and a six.

Australia thought Brook had been caught behind down the legside for 17 by Inglis, playing his first match of the series after injury, off Starc.

But an umpire review made it clear the ball had bounced into Inglis's gloves -- with boos ringing round Lord's as the replay was shown on the giant screen.

It was the second controversial incident involving an Australia wicketkeeper at Lord's in as many matches after Alex Carey -- playing as a batsman only on Friday -- stumped Jonny Bairstow during an Ashes Test last year when the England batsman believed the ball was dead.

Brook fell when he holed out in the deep off leg-spinner Adam Zampa.

(AFP)

More For You

Xbox

Devices feature improved processors, memory and battery life over earlier ROG Ally models

Asus/ Microsoft

Xbox handheld prices leaked by Asus, with premium model expected to cost £799

Highlights:

  • Asus leak reveals potential pricing for new Xbox handhelds ahead of official announcement
  • ROG Xbox Ally expected to cost £499, with ROG Xbox Ally X priced around £799 in the UK
  • Devices feature improved processors, memory and battery life over earlier ROG Ally models
  • Listings appeared on an Asus store in Barcelona and were spotted via localised Google search
  • Official release may take place in October, with pre-orders rumoured for August

Asus has accidentally revealed the likely pricing of Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox handhelds, with listings for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X briefly appearing online.

The two handhelds, which were officially announced during the Xbox Games Showcase in June, are the result of a collaboration between Microsoft and Asus. They are based on Asus’s existing ROG Ally models but are expected to include performance upgrades such as an improved AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor and extended battery life.

Keep ReadingShow less
Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone as Veronica in Cocktail (2012) — a performance that redefined the Bollywood 'bad girl'

13 years later, Veronica still stands out: 5 reasons why Deepika Padukone’s 'Cocktail' character broke Bollywood’s mould

When Cocktail hit screens in 2012, it was supposed to be a Saif Ali Khan rom-com. Instead, it became Deepika Padukone’s breakthrough moment, largely thanks to her turn as Veronica, a character that was anything but the typical Bollywood heroine.

Now, 13 years on, it’s clear Cocktail wasn’t just a hit, it was a gamechanger. Here’s why Veronica remains one of the boldest characters of Deepika’s career, and arguably, a milestone in the way mainstream Hindi cinema wrote women.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tata-Steel

he Port Talbot EAF will produce up to 3 million tonnes of steel per year using UK-sourced scrap.

getty images

Tata Group begins construction of new Electric Arc Furnace in Port Talbot

TATA STEEL UK has started construction of a new Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) at its Port Talbot site in South Wales. Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran marked the groundbreaking ceremony on July 14, joined by Tata Steel CEO and managing director TV Narendran and Tata Steel UK CEO Rajesh Nair.

The EAF project is part of Tata Steel UK’s £1.25 billion plan to transition to low-carbon steelmaking, backed by £500 million from the UK government. The furnace is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2027 and aims to reduce carbon emissions at Port Talbot by about 90 per cent, or 5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. The project is expected to support 5,000 jobs.

Keep ReadingShow less
South Park Paramount Plus

South Park fans call out Paramount Plus for pulling the show worldwide

Variety

'South Park' fans lash out after Paramount Plus removes show outside the US ahead of season 27

Highlights:

South Park pulled from Paramount+ globally after licence expiry
• Fans in UK, Canada, Australia, and Europe react with outrage
• Dispute linked to £6.3 billion (₹673 billion) Paramount-Skydance merger and ongoing contract standoff
• Season 27 premieres 23 July on Comedy Central in the US, leaving global fans stranded

Fans around the world are up in arms after South Park disappeared from Paramount+ outside the US. With just days to go until the season 27 premiere, international viewers are calling out Paramount Global for yanking the show due to a lapsed streaming deal and are threatening to cancel subscriptions over what they see as corporate mishandling.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kanye West responds to ex-assistant’s amended sex assault

Lauren Pisciotta has accused Kanye West of repeated sexual misconduct

BBC/Getty Images

Kanye West responds to ex-assistant’s amended sex assault lawsuit, calls it “fantasy fiction”

Highlights:

  • Kanye West has dismissed ex-assistant Lauren Pisciotta’s latest lawsuit as a “delusional” and “contradictory” narrative.
  • Pisciotta accuses West of multiple acts of sexual assault and misconduct, including forced oral sex and workplace harassment.
  • West’s team argues the claims are inconsistent and defamatory, pledging to fight them in court.
  • Pisciotta’s attorney Lisa Bloom insists West has already admitted to key parts of the allegations and will face justice.

Kanye West has hit back at explosive sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations from former Yeezy employee Lauren Pisciotta, branding her newly amended lawsuit as a fabricated and conflicting tale. The rapper’s legal team released a fiery statement slamming the accusations, which include claims of rape, forced sexual exposure, and workplace abuse.

  Kanye West’s spokesperson says the claims are inconsistent and defamatoryBBC/Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less