Flintoff return can’t prevent Roses defeat

Jun 21 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

EVER a cricketer for the razzamatazz of the big occasion, Andrew Flintoff returned to Lancashire’s first team in a Roses match and in front of a 17,000 sell-out crowd at Old Trafford yesterday evening.

However, the England all-rounder was sadly deluded if he believed the Twenty20 North Division match would bring an end to his run of first ball noughts. Preston’s finest was trapped lbw by Tim Bresnan for his third golden duck of the 2008 season and his fourth zero in seven innings.

To add collective insult to personal injury, Lancashire lost to their greatest rivals by four runs, the county’s second defeat to Darren Gough’s men in barely 48 hours.

The Old Trafford side now probably need to win at least three of their four remaining games to keep hopes of appearing in a second successive Twenty20 Finals day in good health.

Umpire Barry Dudleston’s decision to send Flintoff on his way looked a trifle harsh. The 6ft 4ins batsman was hit on the knee-roll of his front pad but at least he was able to chuckle about his fate as he returned to the dug-out.

The England selectors may be less mirthful. Flintoff needs to prove both his form and fitness to be considered for the Test match against South Africa on July 10, and Lancashire have only four Twenty20 games and a Championship match at Hove before that series gets under way.

Flintoff hasn’t bowled in a competitive match since straining his side on May 9 and, having sent a few overs down “at about 80%”, was realistic about his prospects yesterday. “I can’t rush it. It’s got to be right,” he said.

“I’d love to play a full part in the Sussex game but to go from 80% to 100% is a big move. I’ve got be right in my mind and body to do that.”

“He’s just scratching his head,” said Stuart Law of his returning all-rounder. “He just wants to get a run at Old Trafford. If he keeps believing, it will turn for him soon.”

Quite apart from the general preoccupation with Flintoff’s fitness, there was plenty in yesterday’s evening’s encounter to keep the attention of the raucous but well-behaved crowd.

The Yorkshire innings got off to the sort of start most of the spectators were hoping for when Andrew Gale was brilliantly run out by Francois du Plessis off the third ball of the match and the visitors’ fortunes deteriorated in the second over when Michael Vaughan bottom-edged Sajid Mahmood onto his middle stump, a dismissal the Lancashire fast bowler seemed to celebrate with something more than his usual joy.

A stand of 59 between Gerard Brophy and Anthony McGrath revived the Yorkshire innings with Brophy being especially hard on any indiscipline in line and length from the Old Trafford attack. Steven Croft, Kyle Hogg and even the distinctly sharp Mahmood conceded a couple of boundaries each to the South Africa-born right-hander whose dismissal off Gary Keedy for a 36-ball 44 looked a pivotal point in the contest.

Neither the in-form McGrath nor the stylish Jacques Rudolph could dominate the bowling as Brophy had managed. Some accurate bowling and generally competent fielding restricted the Yorkshire batsmen to only 68 runs in the final 10 overs with Wirral-born leg-spinner Simon Marshall again impressive with figures of three for 11.

A total of 135 is generally reckoned to be below par in most Twenty20 but the loss of both Stuart Law and Mal Loye either side of Flintoff’s departure left the Lancashire struggling on 20 for three at the end of the fourth over.

A 68-run third wicket partnership between Franciois du Plessis and Steven Croft steadied the ship, but Lancashire still needed 48 off their last five overs, a goal which Kyle Hogg’s two sixes in a nine-ball 22 seemed to have brought in reach.

Tim Bresnan, though, needing to concede less than 12 in the final over, allowed Lancashire batsmen to score only seven, and outstanding figures of 4-0-12-2 earned the Yorkshire seamer a thoroughly deserved the man-of-the match award.