Liam Livingstone says it was a “pleasure” to see Jos Buttler’s 71 not out of 32 balls against Australia as England galloped to a third straight T20 World Cup win with an eight wicket thrashing alongside Aaron Finch; Livingstone also talks about spin bowling and the upcoming match against Sri Lanka.
“Genius” Jos Buttler is the best white ball hitter in the world, said his England teammate Liam Livingstone, after his brutal hitting during the eight-wicket victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup.
Buttler had five sixes and four fours while posting an unbeaten 71 on just 32 deliveries, while England led Australia’s 125 with 50 balls to spare in Dubai on Saturday night.
The 31-year-old’s pyrotechnics included monstrous sixes in a row against Mitchell Starc as England claimed a third straight win.
Livingstone said Sky Sports Cricket: “It was a pleasure sitting there watching Jos’ tickets. It was great to see a genius in action.
“Every six he hit was 15, 20 rows back, about 50 rows back. I’ve said it all the time: He’s the best white ball hitter in the world.
“When he gets on a hot streak, there’s no one to stop him. It was the perfect inning, a white-ball batting clinic, and as long as it continues.”
Buttler’s scorching blow, in which he spent 300 sixes in his T20 cricket career, came after England’s bowlers fired again, reducing Australia to 21-3 after the power play.
Chris Woakes (2-23) fired David Warner (1) and Glenn Maxwell (6), while also taking a sensational catch in the middle of the on to eliminate Steve Smith (1).
England swept the defending champions of the West Indies by just 55 in their first World Cup match and then held Bangladesh to 124-9 in their second.
Livingstone, who went 1-15 in four overs against Australia with his combination of leg and off-spin, said: “Our bowlers have been phenomenal throughout the tournament and we have great depth within our lineup.
“It’s hard to get to that seamer test length. The Woakes length is perfect for these pitches. We’ve played that wonderfully and endorsed it as an effects unit.
“The way our hitters have come down the field and tried to hit pitchers is something the teams haven’t done to us yet.”
Livingstone claimed 2-15 in three overs against Bangladesh and then fired Australian southpaw Matthew Wade, caught by Jason Roy at the length limit, during his four overs on Saturday.
The Lancashire man pushed the ball away from the right-handers with a leg turn and away from the left-handers with a spin off.
Livingstone added about his bowling alley: “I’ve done it for a few years and worked really hard at times like this – to be able to turn the ball away from the bat when teams are under pressure is a great thing.
“I’ve worked a lot on my lengths with Jeets [England spin-bowling coach Jeetan Patel].
“It’s about trying to change myself as a bowler to try to hit a much better pitch and not completely fail. Fortunately, that hard work is starting to pay off and I have succeeded in this tournament.
“I learn a lot from Mo [Moeen Ali] and rash [Adil Rashid].
“An off-spinner and a leg-spinner that have probably been two of the best in the world for many years.
“I can learn from them, which is great for me. I feel very lucky to learn the art of spinning along with my hitting.”
On Monday’s clash with Sri Lanka in Sharjah, in which a victory could secure England a place in the semi-final, Livingstone said: “We have said that every pitch is very different and Sharjah will be completely different.
“Different bounce, much slower. We will have to assess conditions as quickly as we can and get down to business.”
Watch England vs Sri Lanka live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 1.30pm on Monday.
