Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Flintoff steps up rehabilitation to lift Lancashire

Lancashire 196-4, Essex 195-9: Lancashire win by six wickets

At Old Trafford,Jon Culley
Wednesday 18 May 2005 00:00 BST
Comments

Unlike the other 11 England players named for the first Test against Bangladesh at Lord's next week, Andrew Flintoff has been granted permission to play Championship cricket for his county this weekend having requested a further opportunity to sharpen his match fitness. Essex might suggest he hardly needs it.

Unlike the other 11 England players named for the first Test against Bangladesh at Lord's next week, Andrew Flintoff has been granted permission to play Championship cricket for his county this weekend having requested a further opportunity to sharpen his match fitness. Essex might suggest he hardly needs it.

Taking his rehabilitation a substantial step further, Flintoff bowled his full compliment of 10 overs as Lancashire trounced their second round opponents to book a place in the quarter-finals of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy. His initial seven-over spell was his longest since ankle surgery during the winter.

He looked still to have something in reserve but let one or two deliveries go at a quick enough pace to trouble good batsmen. Andy and Grant Flower, the former Zimbabwe Test players, would testify to that. Flintoff took four wickets, including the aforementioned brothers.

Accounting for Grant, caught at long leg pulling, and Andy, who edged to second slip, in his fourth and fifth overs, Flintoff effectively quashed Essex's hopes of a competitive recovery from their loss of both openers in the first six overs: he later returned to dismiss Alex Tudor and Darren Gough. Only Ravinder Bopara (42) provided any resistance for Essex in a disappointing performance.

The substance of Lancashire's reply came from the captain Mark Chilton (40) and Australia's Brad Hodge, whose 82 won him the man of the match award despite being dropped once and surviving when a catch claimed by Grant Flower at midwicket was judged not to have carried.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in