A new generation and a new type of cricketer. As the ever-growing sport evolves the demands of a professional cricketer change regularly. Bowlers bowl faster, batters strike it further and the emphasis on short, explosive cricket improves greatly. Enter, Liam Livingstone.
The 26-year-old, originally from Cumbria, is known for taking his big hitting opening style and sneaky leg spin around the world.
Twice an England T20 international and former captain at Lancashire, Livingstone has struck devastating sixes in the IPL, Big Bash, PSL, South African Msanzi Super League and Vitality Blast.
His mid-summer post however, is something exciting and a little different. The Hundred. An action-packed, unmissable new 100-ball competition that will put you on the edge of your seat.
The eight new women’s and men’s teams will compete over five weeks every summer.
The best way to play for England is to perform against the best and they are going to be in the Hundred. It’ll be great for us to showcase our talents.
Liam Livingstone
Livingstone’s assignment is Edgbaston and Birmingham Phoenix having been selected in the draft as a £125,000 round one pick. It’ll be a new home ground and a new experience for the all-rounder, but he’s keen to stress that there won’t be too many nerves.
“The best way to play for England is to perform against the best and they are going to be in the Hundred. It’ll be great for us to showcase our talents.
“The overseas players who are coming over are some of the best in the world, so if you’re performing well against them then it’s a great way to push your case for international cricket.
“There’s a lot of buzz about it and I’m sure it’ll be a success and I’m really excited to be playing in it.”
Livingstone recently returned from a season in the Big Bash with the Perth Scorchers.
That campaign led to disappointment for the West Coast outfit, but for Livingstone he’ll continue his strong form of 425 runs at an average of 30.36 in the PSL with 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi.
All these experiences will help ahead of the new exciting competition.
“We played some good cricket in the Big Bash, but just lost key moments of the game and if you lose those key moments in T20 cricket then it’s very hard to come out on top.
“Overall I was pretty happy with the way I played and it was a great experience for me. It’ll definitely be a real learner moving forward.
“But when you get into to good form you don’t really want to stop so thankfully I’ve got another tournament in the PSL.
“I went to play in the final of the PSL last year and it was really good. The crowds were unbelievable and they obviously love their cricket.
“I’m really excited for that one and it’s a really strong competition as the standard of fast bowling in Pakistan is very good. It’ll be another challenge for me which is what you want.”
The Hundred promises to be one of the biggest sporting events of the summer with accessible ticket prices designed to appeal to families of all shapes and sizes.
The initial priority sales window is open until 28 February, so fans need to act fast to secure the early-bird offers and grab the best seats to watch the world’s biggest cricket stars go head-to-head.
Tickets start at just £26 for a family of four with tickets for under-16s priced at £5 for any match. Visit thehundred.com to sign up, and snap up, the early-bird discount tickets. Visit www.thehundred.com for further ticket information.
