Livingstone bravery evokes Cowdrey, Marshall & Kumble

The Lancashire captain wore a fielding shin guard over his entire hand along with all the normal protective gear, but Joe Root bowling James Anderson meant Livingstone wasn’t required to face a ball as Yorkshire won the game.

It is not the first time a cricketer has disregarded a debilitating injury in an effort to help his side.

England’s Colin Cowdrey walked out to bat with his arm in plaster against the West Indies at Lord’s in 1963 after a Wes Hall delivery had broken it earlier in the innings. It earned England a draw.

Malcolm Marshall broke his thumb on the first morning of the Headingley Test in 1984 to put him out of bowling action. But with West Indies building a lead and Larry Gomes in sight of a century the great fast bowler batted with one hand to help his team-mate reach his milestone. Not only that, once out, Marshall proceeded to open the bowling and take 7/53 to set up an emphatic victory despite his injury.

More recently, in 2002, the great India leg-spinner Anil Kumble batted on having had his jaw broken by Merv Dillon in Antigua. The next day he bowled 14 overs with a bandaged face, taking the wicket of Brian Lara.