• Home
  • Match Hub
  • Watch Livingstone Falls Cheaply As Lahiru Kumara Proves Too Hot To Handle

[Watch] Livingstone Falls Cheaply As Lahiru Kumara Proves Too Hot To Handle

image-lo713bq0Livingstone after getting out against SL (X.com)

Expected to dominate their must-win league stage clash with former winners Sri Lanka, reigning champions England suffered a horrendous top-order collapse in Bangalore at the ICC World Cup 2023 on Thursday (October 26). 

After trying to push the scoring rate with the intention to put the pressure on the inexperienced Sri Lankan attack, England found themselves in a precarious hole at 85/5 after their explosive middle-order batter Liam Livingstone was given out plumb LBW at the close of the 17th over. 

Livingstone missed a sharp nipbacker from Lankan seamer Lahiru Kumara and was given out LBW by the standing umpire. The batter was trying to aim for the mid-wicket region instead of playing the ball straight and his downswing created a decent gap for the incoming delivery to sneak through and crash onto his pads. 

With impact no issue, the height would've been the only cause of doubt. But umpire Chris Brown was convinced the ball would've flicked the top of the bails and wasted little time in raising his finger, much to the delight of the Sri Lankans, who would've grown in belief to upstage their much-vaunted opposition. 

Livingstone Given Out Plumb LBW 

Livingstone wasn't as certain of his fate as Brown and after due deliberation with non-striker Ben Stokes asked for the DRS intervention. Since the impact was always in line with the stumps, and the decision was given on the field, Livingstone's only hope of respite was if the ball had sailed over the stumps. 

But DRS vindicated the decision made by the umpire with two reds plus the 'umpire's call' shown on hawkeye to send Livingstone back to the shed for what would've been a painstaking walk having just arrived to the crease and faced six deliveries for a solitary run. 

Livingstone had an excellent opportunity at hand to resurrect the England innings and repaid the persistent faith shown by the team management, which earlier dropped experienced all-rounder Moeen Ali in preference of the allround utility he brings to the table, including his wrist spin bowling and swashbuckling death-overs hitting. 

But it wasn't to be as the Lankan Lions further drowned England in trouble waters to leave them 85/5 in what was a must-win league fixture after losing three of their previous four matches, featuring just one win against the struggling Bangladeshis.