A fired-up Liam Livingstone brilliantly took down Rashid Khan to lead Birmingham Phoenix home in a thrilling and unlikely chase of 181 against defending champions Oval Invincibles in the men’s Hundred.
The Phoenix, beaten in both of their first two fixtures, needed 61 runs from 24 balls with six wickets left before captain Livingstone struck five balls from superstar Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid for 26 runs, with three sixes and two fours.
With 22 required from the last 10, he thrashed Tom Curran for another two sixes to put Phoenix on the brink.
Then, with three to defend from the last five, Saqib Mahmood took two wickets in two balls but Benny Howell drove a four and Livingstone finished 69 not out from 27 – Phoenix completing the third-highest chase in The Hundred with four wickets and two balls to spare.
There was needle between the sides throughout the contest, with Curran appearing to celebrate in the direction of Livingstone after he dismissed Jacob Bethell for eight, at which stage Livingstone had 16.
“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.”
Rashid’s final figures – 0-59 from 20 balls – are the most expensive in the tournament as the Invincibles’ winning start to the tournament ended.
Donovan Ferreira had seemingly put them in control by hitting a brutal 63 from 29 balls to lift the Invincibles to 180-8.
Instead, Livingstone, backed up by 51 from 29 by opener Will Smeed, produced one of the best knocks in The Hundred, sealing one of the more improbable victories.
