Flintoff finds authority from his commitment to all-round improvement

The last semi-final in Benson & Hedges Cup history will be remembered, if at all, for the final ball – the one Neil Carter of Warwickshire coolly swept for four. But it was the two deliveries before that which had more significance for English cricket.

Both were flicked out to the square-leg boundary by Dougie Brown, who was leading Warwickshire's charge. Both went to the left of Andrew Flintoff at deep square. Both times Brown had to turn an easy single into a tight two. The first Flintoff fielded efficiently, getting the ball in to Warren Hegg in time for an appeal, but the replays showed that a direct hit was needed. He was on to the second that bit quicker, hurling his huge frame into a sliding stop which dislodged a divot and quite possibly registered on the Richter Scale. This time he did achieve a direct hit, or as good as, and Brown was out.

It was an outstanding piece of cricket which encapsulated Freddie Flintoff's progress in the past nine months. After doing something adequately but not quite well enough, he was presented with an unexpected second chance, and grabbed it. Don't blame him for Lancashire's defeat. He had bowled tightly and shrewdly, getting through his full 10 overs for only 35 and picking up the useful wicket of Trevor Penney, and before that he had come in at 36 for 3 and settled things down with an old hand's innings of 40.

A few days earlier, he had played for England at Edgbaston. In a match full of big individual hauls, Flintoff was no more than a scavenger – he took 2 for 50 in 11 overs, and made 29 before falling to a poor decision. But he helped set the tone for England's dominance. On the first day, with the ball swinging and the nicks flying, the edges that didn't go to Alec Stewart picked out Flintoff at second slip. Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka's batting star on this tour, nibbled at one from Andy Caddick and a few minutes later Russel Arnold, the last specialist batsman, did the same. One right-hander, one left, same story: Flintoff swallowed both with the minimum of movement and fuss, showing real authority.

Again, this represented a swift improvement. He had been offered two slip-catches in quick succession once before in the series, on the second morning at Lord's when England had a slim chance of clawing their way back into the game, and he had dropped both. Flintoff can seem a bit thick, and the chances are you won't find him discussing the merits of Ian McEwan's Atonement with Mike Atherton. But he has a cricket brain, and a willingness to learn, which mark him out among England's under-25s.

He has begun to display something that is in even shorter supply in English cricket: star quality. The most memorable recent picture of anyone in an England shirt was of Flintoff taking his off – careering around the Wankhede Stadium, Bombay, like a five-year-old at a picnic, after securing a drawn series with a run-out and a yorker when India needed six to win off three balls. His celebrations are as expansive as his strokeplay.

During the winter, something happened to his appeal as well as his game. The great tub of lard that he had threatened to become in 2000 turned into a bit of a hunk. He began to figure in female fans' conversation and e-mails in a way that went beyond mere appreciation of his accuracy. If cricketers had image rights, Flintoff would be able to charge more than any team-mate except perhaps Darren Gough.

That image took a minor dent the other day when he was the victim of a red-top tabloid's kiss-and-sell story. Flintoff's agents, Chubby Chandler and Neil Fairbrother, did a great job of getting him focused last year, but they lag some way behind Matthew Freud when it comes to ensuring that their client is portrayed as a skilled lover.

Flintoff still has his rough edges on the field, too. He has not quite lost the habit of spooning catches to men saving one in front of the bat: he did it again in last week's semi-final, pull-driving tamely to midwicket. As a bowler, he has pace and consistency, but the way he angles the ball in makes him a threat to the best batsmen only in one-day cricket. Since his reinvention last autumn, his economy rate in Tests (2.79 runs per over) has been more impressive than his strike rate (75 balls per wicket). It is important that he is not just a stock bowler, both for the team, who often struggle to bowl opponents out twice, and for him, because long spells will leave him at risk of burn-out.

Tomorrow Flintoff plays his first Test at Old Trafford – you can't quite say in front of his home crowd, since the attendance may be as sparse as it was last Friday. Later in the year comes a more daunting first: in 56 England appearances, he has yet to face Australia. The last Ashes series was virtually won and lost at No 7. In the decisive first three Tests, Adam Gilchrist thrashed 296 runs in three innings, while his opposite numbers, Usman Afzaal and Ian Ward, scraped 36 in six. Now, England have a matchwinner of their own striding in when the fifth wicket falls. They should take good care of him.