Livingstone's heroics lead England to thrilling victory over Australia

Liam Livingstone delivered a stunning performance, scoring 87 from 47 balls, as England secured a three-wicket victory over Australia at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens on Friday.

The win levelled the three-match T20 series at 1-1, setting up a decisive final match in Manchester on Sunday. England chased down Australia's total of 193 for 6, finishing on 194 for 7, with Livingstone's impressive innings being the cornerstone of their success.

Livingstone’s half-century, his second in T20 internationals, came during his 50th match for England. His explosive knock thrilled the crowd and was pivotal in overcoming the target set by Australia, who were led by Jake Fraser-McGurk’s maiden international fifty. Captain Phil Salt got England off to a strong start, hitting three consecutive sixes in the third over. However, Sean Abbott’s quick wickets soon put England under pressure, as Will Jacks was caught for 12, and Jordan Cox was bowled for a duck on his second ball.

Salt’s innings came to an end at 39 off 23 balls when he was caught by Abbott, but Livingstone then formed a crucial partnership with newcomer Jacob Bethell. Bethell’s 44 from 24 balls, combined with Livingstone’s power-hitting, steadied the innings and kept England on course for victory. Livingstone smashed six fours and five sixes before being bowled by Matt Short, who claimed five wickets in total, with just one run left to win. Adil Rashid secured the victory with a quick single, giving England the joint-highest successful T20 run chase at Sophia Gardens.

The win was especially significant following England's 28-run loss to Australia in the opening match at Southampton on Wednesday. Livingstone, named player of the match, expressed his satisfaction with both his batting and bowling, stating, "I feel like I'm in decent nick with bat and bowl. I'm enjoying my cricket, it's nice to play with a smile on my face." He also praised Bethell, describing him as an "incredible talent" with a bright future ahead.

Australia, captained for the first time by Travis Head in place of the unwell Mitchell Marsh, failed to replicate their success from Wednesday's game. Head, who scored 31 from 14 balls, was caught by Rashid at point off Brydon Carse's second ball of the match in the fifth over. Australia reached 67-1 after the powerplay and were 87-2 when Rashid bowled opener Matt Short for 28 off 24 balls.

Fraser-McGurk reached his fifty off 31 deliveries but was caught by Jamie Overton off Livingstone just two balls later, with Australia at 119-3. Fraser-McGurk noted that while he had some experience batting at No.3 in the Big Bash and IPL, this was his first time doing so in international cricket. Marcus Stoinis followed soon after, caught again by Overton for just two runs, leaving Australia at 131-4.

Later, Tim David was dismissed at 157-5 following a player review, caught behind by Salt off a Carse short ball. Josh Inglis was the next to go, caught by Carse off Sam Curran’s first delivery, leaving Australia on 157-6. Reflecting on the match, Head acknowledged Australia’s efforts, stating, "We got a really good score and we got really close," but added that they now look forward to the deciding match in Manchester.