A MEASURE of presumption might always come with his name, but Liam Livingstone is taking nothing for granted.

Less than two months ago the Barrow-born 22-year-old had not even played first-class cricket.

Now he has a Division One century to his name, plus three other 50s, 15 catches and the wicket of Tino Best.

Not only that, but last Friday he was receiving a quick lesson as to where he should put his microphone after his 23-ball 55, the quickest Twenty20 half-century in Lancashire’s history, had set his side on their way to a NatWest Blast victory against Yorkshire.

As they adjust to a season that has already seen the victories outnumber the setbacks, Lancashire supporters will be a little relieved to learn Livingstone’s head shows no sign at all of being turned.

He knows he has entered a hard school and he is simply determined to learn as much as he can.

“Division One is tough,” said Livingstone, whose talent saw him tipped as a future England T20 player by Ashes-winning skipper Michael Vaughan last week.

“I’d never experienced first-class cricket before this season, so I can’t really compare it to Division Two. But while it’s tough cricket, it’s where you want to be playing and performing.”

So far, Lancashire’s players have adjusted to the top tier of English domestic cricket very much better than they managed it in 2012 and 2014.

Their three wins see them at the top of Division One, albeit they are now level on points with Yorkshire after last week’s defeat in the four-day Roses match.

“It’s been a great start for us,” said Livingstone. “We were big underdogs in Championship cricket at the start of the year and we’ve begun well by keeping things very simple and playing as a team.

“The loss to Yorkshire was a disappointing result, but I also thought it was a great game of cricket. We played all right at times, but then we let ourselves down at times but that’s what’s going to happen with a young side.

“We’ll keep building on it and hopefully we’ll become more consistent as the year goes on. We’ve got a lot of improving to do but we’re also playing pretty well at times.”

As for Livingstone himself, he is benefiting from the encouragement of the Emirates Old Trafford coaches that he should trust in his innate abilities.

“I always try to play my natural game, which is a very positive one and Ashley Giles (the Lancashire coach) gives me the freedom to play my own way,” the Barrow CC product said. “He backs me and luckily it’s paying off at the moment.

“It was a big challenge for me coming straight into Division One cricket, but once I had got one good score I gained the confidence that I could perform at that level.

“I think my 70 against Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford was my most valuable innings, because we needed to put some partnerships together to get past them. Once we’d done that it allowed us to attack with the ball. They had a good attack but that’s what Division One cricket’s all about and you just have to take it on head-first and go for it.”

Livingstone has “gone for it” in all three departments of the game this season. He accepts that his leg spin is just a “part-time thing” at the moment – although as a junior at Barrow he was coached by Terry Jenner – but that description can’t be applied to his slip catching.

“I dropped one at home, it’s not good enough is it?” he said. “The lads have put confidence in me to take the catches and I’ll try and do my best for them.

“You’re always in the game at slip but as a cricketer that’s what you want. You always want to be in a situation where you are pushing your team forward and contributing to winning a game.”