Liam Livingstone hit 28 runs off the final over of England's innings against Australia at Lord's today (September 27), whacking Mitchell Starc for four sixes and taking the record for the most runs ever scored from an over in a men's ODI at Lord's.
England were in a good position ahead of the final over of their innings, on 284-5 and with both Livingstone and Jacob Bethell well set. The match had been shortened to 39 overs per side due to rain before the start of play. England needed a win in the series to stay in the series having lost the opening two matches before striking back with victory in the third.
Facing up to Starc's first ball, the yorker which Starc normally effectively employs at the death was dragged back just short of its ideal length and Livingstone capitalised. He shuffled across his stumps, and hit the ball down the ground, his bottom hand coming off his bat at the top of his arc. The ball flew high in the air and long, straight into the stands. Starc was better off his next ball, sending down a slower one into the pitch and earning a dot.
However, carnage unfolded from there. Starc missed his length on his yorker again off the next ball, dragging it slightly short. Livingstone punished him once more, flicking into the leg side this time, the ball pinging off his bat and over the backward square leg boundary. The next one was over-pitched and a full toss just below waist height. Livingstone flat-batted it straight back past Starc and over the long on boundary.
6️⃣▪️6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣4️⃣
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 27, 2024
Incredible final over hitting from Liam Livingstone 💪💥
🏴 #ENGvAUS 🇦🇺 | @liaml4893 pic.twitter.com/qfEDxOM88N
That shot took Livingstone to a half-century off just 25-balls, with six sixes and two fours, and brought up 300 for England, still with two balls to go. Starc sent the next one down into the pitch, Livingstone greeting it with a cross-batted slap over midwicket, picking up a third consecutive six and fourth of the over.
He couldn't get the last one away to make it five sixes, however, but slashed a wide delivery over point for a four. That meant England set Australia a target of 313 to chase, and Livingstone finished unbeaten on 62 off 27 balls.
Liam Livingstone - most runs scored off one over in a men's ODI at Lord's
Livingstone broke a significant record with his assault against Starc. No player has now hit as many runs as him off a single over in a men's ODI at Lord's, with the closest being Andrew Flintoff against the West Indies in 2004. It's quite some way off Livingstone's own record off the most runs scored off an over in men's ODI for England at any venue, however, the four sixes and two fours he hit off Philippe Boissevain in Amstelveen in 2022 still firmly occupying the top spot.
Starc also now holds the Australian record for the most runs conceded off an over in a men's ODI, surpassing Simon Davis's 26 runs conceded to Ian Botham in 1987, Craig McDermott's 26 to Adrian Kuiper in 1994, Xavier Doherty to Rohit Sharma in 2013, as well as Adam Zampa and Cameron Green.
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