Liam Livingstone’s 28-run on slaught off Mitchell Starc in a single over during Lord’s’ high-stakes meeting has become a signature moment of the fourth ODI between England and Australia. Following Starc’s over, which smacked four huge sixes, he set a new record for the most expensive over by an Australian in men’s ODIs, surpassing the 26 runs conceded by Simon Davis in 1987.
England’s dominating show helped them bag an incredible victory by 186 runs, tying the five-match series at 2-2 and developing anticipation for the exciting final.
Livingstone’s Powerful Hitting: A Record-Breaking Over
In the last over of England’s innings, Liam Livingstone performed a remarkable show, he is known for his hard-hitting. He notched up 62 runs from 27 balls with seven sixes and 3 fours. Mitchell Starc was the one dealing with most of the punishment as a bowler. The 39th over, bowled by Starc, went like this:
- 1st Ball: Straight six over long-on
- 2nd Ball: Dot
- 3rd Ball: Six over midwicket
- 4th Ball: Six over midwicket
- 5th Ball: Deep square leg saw Six pullover
- 6th Ball: Four over extra cover
Not only did Livingstone’s rapid 28 runs dishearten the Australian bowlers, but they also contributed to a powerful total of 312-5 in 39 overs for England. He additionally notched the quickest fifty in an ODI at Lord’s, striking it in only 25 balls and matching the record for most sixes in one game held by Andrew Flintoff.
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Starc’s Struggles Return
Starc was not new to such an over either for the first time, many more such events were to follow soon. Recently during one of the T20 World Cup matches, India’s captain Rohit Sharma scored 29 in one of the overs bowled by Starc. Now once again Starc’s bowling skills are being criticized, especially how effective he bowls under pressure. In this match, he conceded seventy runs in only eight overs, showing how Australia failed to master England’s powerful striking. This expensive over not only broke a poor record for Starc but also raised concerns about his current ODI form.
England’s Strong Score: Brook and Duckett Stand Out
The sixes struck by Livingstone certainly did raise awareness but the steady performance by Harry Brook of 87 from 58 balls set the platform on a dominant performance by England in the match. Brook, who made his maiden ODI ton in the previous match, once again bailed England out of trouble after early exits. Ben Duckett also contributed well by scoring 63 useful runs coming in the middle order.
When rain reduced the match to 39 overs per side after South Africa had batted, England’s 312 for five was a very powerful position, especially with Livingstone’s late burst.
Australia’s Collapse: Chasing an Impossible Target
In reply, the Aussies got off to a good start, reaching 68-0 but then it went from bad to worse. It was a decline of 6 wickets for 28 runs, as they reached the score of 96/6. Travis Head made 34 with the best knock of the Australian innings, which never went on stream. Matthew Potts scored the best bowling of four wickets for 38 runs for England and put pressure on Australia throughout the match.
Steven Smith and captain Mitchell Marsh failed to deliver the goods when it mattered most. Smith was out for five, and Marsh was bowled by a stunning delivery by Jofra Archer. After more wickets, Australia was all out for 126 runs in under 25 overs. The Australian side’s struggles were compounded by Brydon Carse (3-36), Jofra Archer (2-33), and Adil Rashid (1-11).
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A Comparison between Livingstone’s Knock and Rohit Sharma’s T20 Masterclass
The lower-order dismissal brings back memories of the forthcoming series as StarItem caught Rohit Sharma off him during the recent T20 World Cup in 2024. In that match, an over from Starc to Rohit was one of the most aggressive overs bowled in modern cricket, where Rohit scored 29 runs.
Thus, while hitting 92 from 41 in that match was one of Rohit’s best ever, Livingstone was similarly brutal here. It also proved once more that Starc had a weakness any batsman could exploit – bowling under pressure.
List of Most Expensive Over in ODIs by Australian Bowler
| Runs | Batter | Bowler | Match | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Liam Livingstone (6.6664) | Mitchell Starc | England v Australia | Lord’s | 2024 |
| 26 | IT Botham (442466) | SP Davis | England v Australia | Perth | 1986/87 |
| 26 | RG Sharma (64.646) | XJ Doherty | India v Australia | Bangalore | 2013/14 |
| 26 | David Miller (4wd11) Heinrich Klaasen (6166) | Adam Zampa | South Africa v Australia | Centurion | 2023 |
| 26 | Suryakumar Yadav (66661) KL Rahul (1) | Cameron Green | India v Australia | Indore | 2023 |
Series Tied at 2-2: What’s Next?
This victory has made it 2 all in the five-match series. The last game is expected to be tough, as both teams will be looking forward to grabbing a win in the Bristol match. England, having won the last two games, will hope to sustain their form and claim victory in the final game, while Australia will try to make a comeback and avoid a third straight loss.
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Conclusion
This unwanted record of Mitchell Starc at Lord’s will surely create a lot of discussion in the cricketing world. Liam Livingstone’s powerful hitting made history, yet there is hope for an exciting final match. When attention turns to Bristol, all eyes will be on whether Starc can recover from this moment and help lead Australia to victory in the series
