Flintoff moves a step closer to England return

Andrew Flintoff returned from a third ankle operation with an encouraging 25 for Lancashire in their one-day tour match against Sri Lanka A here yesterday.

The 29-year-old England all-rounder hit four boundaries in his 40-ball innings as the Red Rose won by 35 runs. He could now make himself available for selection to Old Trafford cricket manager Mike Watkinson ahead of tomorrow's crucial County Championship First Division game against the champions Sussex at Aigburth.

Playing as a batsman only after a lay-off of two and half months since his last appearance in a County Championship game against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl, Flintoff started slowly after coming to the crease at 37 for 2 in the 13th over.

He faced 10 balls before getting off the mark with a single behind square off slow left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.

He then cracked his four boundaries - the best of which was a back foot punch off left-arm seamer Gayan Wijekoon - before being bowled playing all around a straight one from the same bowler.

The former England captain then took to the field for the Sri Lankan reply, fielding out in the deep and in the slips.

Whether Flintoff plays in tomorrow's four-day game as just a batsman or not, it looks odds on at this stage that he will feature for the Lancashire in the Twenty20 Cup finals day at Edgbaston on Saturday.

An appearance in the current Test series against India will come too soon for Flintoff but he could feature in the seven-match one-day series.

The Lancashire captain, Mark Chilton, who was returning himself from a bout of bronchitis, made the top score for his side with 33 as they slumped to 140 all out.

Wijekoon finished with 2 for 28 off eight while off-spinner Dilruwan Perera finished with a handy 3 for 21 off 6.2 overs. The last-wicket partnership of Gary Keedy (22) and Tom Smith (15 not out) added 36 to give the innings some respectability.

Another of Lancashire's returning internationals, Sajid Mahmood, then ripped out the heart of the visiting reply with his first five-wicket haul in limited-overs cricket. The 25-year-old has been out for seven weeks after a hernia operation but removed Test players Michael Vandort and Kaushal Lokuarachchi on his way to figures of 5 for 16.

Mahmood last played for England in the World Cup Super Eight game against South Africa at Bridgetown on 17 April. He will return to Championship action this week in the match against Sussex, against whom he took 5 for 52 at Liverpool last year.

Simon Marshall and Gary Keedy also finished with two wickets each to knock the visitors over for 105 and lead Lancashire to victory.

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