Livingstone smashed nine sixes in the match-winning knock [Getty Images]
2nd ODI, Antigua
West Indies 328-6 (50 overs): Hope 117 (127); Turner 2-42
England 329-5 (47.3 overs): Livingstone 124* (85); Ford 3-48
England won by five wickets. Series level 1-1
Scorecard
A stunning maiden one-day international century from stand-in captain Liam Livingstone helped England defeat the West Indies by five wickets and take the three-match series to the decider.
Chasing a massive 329 in Antigua, Livingstone’s 124 off 85 balls saw the tourists take home 15 balls to spare.
Phil Salt and Jacob Bethell had both reached their half-centuries for England before skipper Sam Curran’s resilient fifth-wicket partnership left England needing 100 runs from their last 10 overs.
Livingstone brought up his fifty off 60 balls before accelerating to bring up three figures after just 17 balls.
Earlier, Windies captain Shai Hope scored 117 off 127 balls to help the home team rebuild after losing both matches early on.
Hope was ably supported by Casey Carty (71) and Shirvan Rutherford (54).
This means the series will be decided in the third and final ODI in Barbados on Wednesday.
The England captain leads from the front
Questions would have been asked of Livingstone, who stands in for injured white-ball captain Jos Buttler, had England lost a second successive match under him.
The stand-in skipper used nine bowlers in the first innings without being able to stem the flow of runs and, perhaps surprisingly, failed to capitalize on 10 full overs from his more experienced fast bowler, Jofra Archer.
But he made up for it with the bat as his unbeaten 124 off 85 balls led England to an improbable victory.
Livingston joined Bethel in the middle with his 107-3 team 21st. When his young batting partner of 55 years left, the Lancashire all-rounder took complete control.
He brought up a half-century in 60 balls before progressing quickly, hitting three successive sixes off Gudakesh Moti soon after passing fifty.
Livingstone needs just 17 more balls to get his maiden ODI century, with Curran fitting in well with his 52nd ball.
After Curran departed in the 46th over, the 31-year-old hit debutant Shamar Joseph for three sixes and a four in the next over to ease any nerves and seal the win and boost a young side that had lost 12 of their matches. The last 18 games like this.
