Birmingham Phoenix star Liam Livingstone had the perfect reply to a cheeky sledge from close friend Tom Curran, delivering a match-winning knock in The Hundred men’s competition. During Phoenix’s four-wicket victory over Oval Invincibles on Saturday, Curran called Livingstone a “fat slob” — a jibe that ended up backfiring spectacularly.

The incident occurred when Curran came on to bowl the penultimate set of five balls (91–95) with Phoenix needing 22 runs from 10 deliveries. Livingstone, unfazed, launched a brutal counterattack — smashing two sixes, a four, a double, and a single. This left Phoenix just three runs short of victory, which they sealed despite losing two late wickets.

“I have no idea why Tom started to spray me,” Liam Livingstone told BBC Two with a grin. “He’s one of my good friends, and he called me a fat slob or something. I thought, ‘Let’s hope you don’t go for a few if you bowl at the death’ — and he did. So, I’m kind of happy with that.”

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Livingstone’s unbeaten 69 off just 27 balls not only secured Phoenix’s first win of the season but also lifted them from the bottom of the points table. Speaking at the post-match presentation, he said: “Very special — we needed it. They’re a great team, champions two years in a row. Nice to get one over them and hopefully build some momentum.”

Tom Curran called Liam Livingstone ‘FAT SLOB’ 😳

“I have no idea why Tom started to spray me. He is one of my good friends and he called me a fat slob or something so I thought, ‘Let’s hope you don’t go for a few if you come back at the death.’ He did so I’m kind of happy with… pic.twitter.com/gGZcXtiDyI

— Cricket.com (@weRcricket) August 13, 2025

His approach was simple yet effective: “Try to get used to the pitch, use the bounce, and take down their spinners. If bowlers miss, I back myself to hit — thankfully, it came off.”

One of the defining moments of his innings was a staggering assault on Rashid Khan, from whom he plundered 26 runs in just five balls — three sixes and two fours. Statistically, Livingstone also became the first player in T20 history (The Hundred counts under T20 records) to score over 200 runs against the Afghan leg-spin maestro.

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“I’ve got a pretty good record against Rashid by stepping across and slogging. I can’t pick him, so I just try that way,” he admitted. “We let ourselves down in the field, but this was a great win to get us back in the tournament.”