Livingstone makes irresistible case for England call-up

Selectors searching for reasons why Liam Livingstone should represent his country in next month's one-day internationals against Ireland did not have to ransack videos for their buttressing arguments this chilly, sunlit Sunday at Emirates Old Trafford.

There was the mid-morning leg side swat off Jack Leach which sent the ball out of the ground. Or there was the effortless lofted persuasion over the midwicket boundary off the same bowler which brought up Livingstone's 192-ball century. No less admirable was the straight drive off Peter Trego or the deceptively facile leg-side clip off Tim Groenewald which saw the stand-in Lancashire captain pass his previous career-best score. In less than a year Livingstone has now made five first-class centuries, one more than Haseeb Hameed.

If English cricket has its wits about it, the national side should call on his abundant talents without observing the frequently pointless protocols of progression.

When he was eventually dismissed two overs after tea, caught at shortish cover by Dean Elgar when he skied another attempted leg side hit off the persevering Leach, Livingstone had made a career-best 168 in four minutes over seven hours. What he had not done, however, was leave his side with the sort of lead that might permit a declaration on the fourth morning. Thus Livingstone seemed disconsolate even as he accepted the chivalrous congratulations of the Somerset players. It is often the way. The very best have no time for flawed excellence.

Nevertheless, Livingstone's batting brooked little criticism on the third day of this match and it threatened to overshadow both Alex Davies' very fine 130 and a combative Somerset bowling performance which may yet see Tom Abell's team emerge victorious on the final evening.

The problem about Livingstone, although it is really no such thing, is that the sublime arcs and outrageous effrontery of his batting can transcend the context in which they are displayed. They should not do so, as Livingstone patiently repeats to all those prepared to listen. His innings on this third day would have been of small value had he not been accompanied in a 245-run stand for the third-wicket by that splendidly scrappy bantamweight, Alex Davies, who has now made two centuries in five innings this season and is a fully-fledged all-rounder.

Somerset's bowlers, too, made an immense contribution to a day which never lost its fascination and a match which may be building up to a last session to treasure if only bad weather keeps its distance from Manchester 16. Only five wickets fell on Sunday but each was significant and the three lbws may offer encouragement to Lancashire bowlers hoping to detect variable bounce.

The first to fall was that of Davies, who was trapped in front by Lewis Gregory before the members in the 1864 suite had digested their lunchtime Oscietra and blini. Rob Jones then batted with encouraging competence for his 37 before both he and Dane Vilas fell in the space of four balls to Craig Overton, who has bullocked to the wicket from the Pavilion End for 29 overs this innings and whose accuracy deserved greater rewards. And when Leach followed the dismissal of Livingstone with that of Jordan Clark, who was stumped for five, Lancashire's lead was only 210. It was extended to 254 by a deceptively modest unbroken partnership of 44 between Ryan McLaren and Stephen Parry and we have an enthralling last day before us. We are lucky people.

All the same, the last word should go to Livingstone who learned his cricket not in Lancastrian heartlands but in Barrow-in-Furness, a curious and marvellous Heimat. For if Barrow is on your tourist trail, you are, one suspects, a pretty weird tourist. It may be near the Lake District but the only romantics wandering lonely as a cloud in the town have fallen out with their mates. The delights of Furness Abbey and industrial history are not for everyone. Barrow is, however, a proper place, one which fosters a splendid independence of outlook in its citizens and a reluctance to concede accepted truths without demur. Liam Livingstone is a Barrovian and it shows.

It reveals itself in his dry humour but also in his insistence that he must work things out for himself, a dogged self-belief which, to their credit, the Lancashire and England Lions coaches encourage. The willingness of proper cricket people like John Stanworth, Mark Chilton and Andy Flower to let the young cricketer both take and leave their suggestions is greatly appreciated.

"Everything I have done has been self-taught," he said. "Every time I have tried to be coached it hasn't been great for me. Myself and Chilly have a great relationship because he knows as soon as he starts to get technical with me, then I start to struggle. You know your own game at this stage; you know what works for you and what doesn't. Over the winter with the Lions I was encouraged just to do what I do well, and I am sure that is what it is like with England.

"That is great because I know relaxing and being as positive as I can is very good for me. I did a lot of work with Andy Flower over the winter and he enjoyed the fact I questioned him on a few technical things and that's a great way to work with a coach. Sometimes you just get told to do things, and they don't work for everyone."

Over two contrasting innings in this match Livingstone has showed what his cricket is about and what works for him. However, sparing his independence, there is one thing that he should be told very soon; he should be told that he is playing one-day cricket for England.