Phil Salt hails Liam Livingstone as England level the series against Australia

England's stand-in skipper, Phil Salt, heaped praise on Liam Livingstone following his stellar performance in the second T20I against Australia. A blazing knock by Livingstone led England to draw the series level at 1-1 against the Kangaroos at home. Livingstone’s explosive innings of 87 from 47 deliveries featured six boundaries and five towering sixes struck at a strike rate of 185.11. The impressive outing by the power hitter took England to the edge of victory before he was eventually dismissed by Matthew Short. Liam’s all-round contribution also included a remarkable bowling spell where he took two wickets for just 16 runs. Effectively, as England came eye-to-eye with Australia in the ongoing series due to the impactful contribution by Livingstone, Phil Salt lauded the all-rounder.

Phil Salt lauds Liam Livingstone as England levels the series 1-1 with Australia

During the post-match presentation, Salt praised Livingstone’s display, calling it “second to none” and commending his experience and adaptability. Salt, in his statement, highlighted how Livingstone has flourished after regaining his full fitness. The stand-in captain went on to emphasize Livingstone’s influence throughout the series, with five wickets and over 100 runs in two matches, expressing hope that he would carry this form into the decider at Old Trafford.

"Incredible performance, what Livi did was second to none. He's played a lot of cricket. He's no mug. Started really well, with five wickets and 100-plus runs in two games. Hopefully, he can take that to Old Trafford," Salt said in the post-match presentation. 

Taking note of the other performers in the match against Australia, Salt also acknowledged the efforts of young Jacob Bethell, who was key to their 90-run stand. The youngster scored an impressive 44 off just 24 balls, perfectly complimenting the exploits by Liam Livingstone in the second clash. Salt admired Bethell’s composure under pressure, particularly when facing Adam Zampa, one of Australia's premier bowlers.

"To see Beth come out and play the way he did, pace his innings, and take their best bowler down, really impressed me. Knew we'd have to play well. They had a good power play. We talked about extending those partnerships after Southampton, nice to do it straight away," he said. "[Bethell] He is a real talent, the way he took down Zampa, not many could do that in their second international game," he added.

The 90-run partnership notched by Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell helped England get past the 194-run target set by the Kangaroos. The match saw England narrowly avoid another thrashing by Travis Head as Brydon Carse curbed Head at a score of 31 off 50. However, Jake Fraser McGurk took from where Head left as the young batter as he registered a half-century taking the Australian total to 193.