Freddie Flintoff upstaged by Allenby and O'Brien

A SELL-OUT crowd crammed into Liverpool Cricket Club last night hoping to see Andrew Flintoff show form to frighten the Aussies ahead of this summer’s Ashes series.

Instead he was upstaged by an English-qualified Western Australian as Lancashire fell to their first Twenty20 defeat of the season.

Leicestershire’s Jim Allenby was already the top run scorer in this year’s competition even before last night’s latest effort.

But an impressive 69 took his total to 354 in seven knocks this season.

And with superb back-up from Iain O’Brien, who claimed five for 23, Lancashire fell eight runs short in their run-chase.

Victory for would have booked the Red Rose county the first berth in this year’s quarter-finals.

But chasing a respectable but by no means formidable target of 146, only Steven Croft and Mark Chilton stuck around long enough to make runs.

Allenby had no such problems, after getting a lucky break off Flintoff’s opening over when he top-edged the England all rounder’s second ball over the head of wicketkeeper Gareth Cross for four.

Allenby was then largely responsible for Lancashire shipping 53 runs in their next four overs as he opened up.

Flintoff, like Mahmood, went for 17 in one over. And Allenby even put the Flintoff over the long-on rope for a straight six.