Livi is knocking on England door
LANCS ACE PRAISED BY FLOWER AFTER BACK-TO-BACK HUNDREDS
ANDY Flower believes Liam Livingstone has given the England selectors a big nudge after hitting two centuries in a match for England Lions.
The Lancashire player joined Kevin Pietersen as only the second batsman in the 35-year history of England’s second string to score a hundred in each innings of a firstclass match.
Having made 105 in the first innings of the game against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla, Livingstone added an unbeaten 140 in the second innings - although it was in a losing cause.
Surrey’s Tom Curran, who was also on the Sri Lanka tour with Livingstone, was given a call-up to the full England one-day squad earlier this week to replace the injured Jake Ball ahead of their opening match against the West Indies on Friday.
And with England selector Angus Fraser having watched in Sri Lanka, Flower – who is head coach of the Lions – believes Livingstone has done himself the power of good as he looks to follow Red Rose team-mate Haseeb Hameed into the England set-up.
“The stand-out was Livingstone, in both innings,” said former England coach Flower. “I really enjoyed watching both innings, and one of the most enjoyable things was he looks like he’s growing quite quickly as a player.
“Some of the things he’s been working on in the training camps seem to have come to the fore in his play of spin.
“It was a really great performance on a typical sub-continental wicket – dusty, turned a bit, skidded a bit, he had to bat for long periods against spinners operating from both ends, where the slightest mistake could mean you’re out. He showed the tactics and the skill to manage that.
“The experience of playing on a turning track, and coming out on top with 140 not out, will give him tremendous confidence.
“He’ll take that confidence with him now, and that is so important to your chances of doing well.
“So it’s really significant for him I think. We had an England selector, Angus Fraser, here for both of the games as well.”
Not only did Livingstone have to get used to the pitch conditions, but also the weather conditions in the furnace of Dambulla.
“That’s by far the hottest I’ve ever batted in,” said the 23-year-old. “I suppose that’s what we do our winter training for, to get prepared for those conditions. It’s a tough place to bat for a long time but it’s our job to be in the right condition to do it.
“I think we had to run three twos in three balls and I nearly keeled over.
“It’s all part of the challenge of playing out here. You’ve just got to embrace it and get on with it.”