In cricket, we have seen Anil Kumble walking out to the field with a broken jaw, Graeme Smith trying to save a Test match with an injured thumb, Dale Steyn limping instead of holding on to crutches in an attempt to provide support and even Sachin Tendulkar deciding to stay on the field despite blood gushing out of his nose. English cricketer Liam Livingstone, today, entered the honourable list of cricketers who put their team ahead of their injury.
Livingstone injured his thumb on Day 1 of the County Championship match between Yorkshire and Lancashire. The Lancashire skipper did not bat in the first innings as Lancashire suffered a batting collapse and managed to put only 109 runs on the board. Lancashire needed to score 322 runs in the fourth innings to win the match.
The batsmen played better than in the first innings but Joe Root starred with his career-best bowling figures to reduce them to 204 for 9 on Day 4. Livingstone, who was waiting in the balcony, padded up with an unusual shin pad on his left hand (with a cast) to cover his fractured thumb.
People were touched by Livingstone’s selfless gesture and took to Twitter to laud the 24-year-old —
Footballers: “Oh noes, the oppo looked at me funny,” *writhes about, clutching their leg*
Liam Livingstone: “broken hand, is it? And Jimmy Anderson the last man in? Pass me that shin pad.” https://t.co/no4l7LReN3— rosamundi (@rosamundi) July 24, 2018
The fact that Liam Livingstone had surgery yesterday on his hand and went out to bat today to try and save his team shows what a dude he is pic.twitter.com/M5sRnusZ14
— Mae #COYB (@MaeSimkin) July 24, 2018
An incredible #Roses match witnessed Liam Livingstone walk out at No. 11 with a short-leg pad to protect his broken thumb https://t.co/ywHOpGaV5v #countycricket pic.twitter.com/LRGeYZkNDy
— #INDvENG #INDvENG #INDvENG (@IndiaCricNews) July 24, 2018
How about this effort from @lancscricket’s Liam Livingstone??? Busted hand but still heading out to the middle!#7cricket (: @chronicleladams) pic.twitter.com/cG6khARFqI
— 7 Cricket (@7Cricket) July 24, 2018
How about this effort from Liam Livingstone??? Busted hand, still headed out to bat!
What are the most courageous moments in sports?
(: @chronicleladams) pic.twitter.com/djMjrw9nRC
— The Sporting Capital (@SportCapitalSEN) July 24, 2018
#bbccricket Brave of Liam Livingstone to bat with a cast but not unbelievable. I was shouting “Malcolm Marshall” at the radio when it was discussed yesterday. Ste Baxter
— Stephen Baxter (@boredboreboring) July 24, 2018
Wow, kudos to Liam Livingstone for braving it today. https://t.co/hoPs099i6g
— Antony Calvert (@antony_calvert) July 24, 2018
Look at the state of the cast Liam Livingstone is wearing for his broken thumb in the Roses pic.twitter.com/oU88LW49JK
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) July 24, 2018
Lord in heaven. Liam Livingstone is going out to bat. He’s either mad or a hero.
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) July 24, 2018
Shin pad is used by players fielding at the short leg position to prevent themselves from injury. However, the destructive right-handed batsman did not get to play a single ball as James Anderson got bowled by Root.
ALSO READ: Joe Root Takes 4 Wickets For 5 Runs For Yorkshire, Gives India Scare Ahead Of 1st Test
Lancashire will be hoping that Livingstone recovers soon as he has been phenomenal in the NatWest T20 Blast 2018, both with the bat and ball. He scored 288 runs from 6 games in the T20 tournament, including one century and a half-century.
