Flintoff misses golden chance to impress

Published on Wednesday 1 July 2009 22:52

ANDREW Flintoff missed the opportunity to make amends for his latest brush with authority as England struggled to impose themselves in their only warm-up match before the Ashes.

Making his first appearance since news broke that he had been disciplined by England for missing a team bus during last week's trip to First World War trenches in Belgium, 31-year-old Flintoff had the ideal platform to generate more positive headlines.

But despite a determined 124 from opener Alastair Cook on the opening day of their three-day match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, England and Flintoff failed to build on that promising start and declared on 290 for eight before Warwickshire reached 31 for one in reply.

Lancashire all-rounder Flintoff had been given an encouraging welcome when he arrived at the crease by a supportive crowd, with England struggling on 229 for five against an under-strength Warwickshire attack. Instead of banishing another set of negative headlines by the force of his performance, however, Flintoff only made 19 as England lost five wickets for 77 runs despite favourable batting conditions.

Batting on a wicket on the far reaches of the Edgbaston square close to the Tom Dollery stand, which reduced the boundary on that side to only 48 yards and opened up a long boundary on the other side, it was the ideal opportunity for a player of Flintoff's style to exploit the situation.

Flintoff got off the mark with a thick edge for four off 25-year-old seamer Naqaash Tahir, who has not played a championship match since last August, and used the vast open spaces of Edgbaston to claim two other all-run fours.

There was also a neat clip through mid-wicket for another boundary but just two overs after Matt Prior had been caught behind off Tahir, Flintoff was surprised by extra bounce and edged the same bowler to second slip.

Meanwhile, Michael Hussey made a timely return to form in Australia's final match before the Ashes series gets under way with a century against England Lions at New Road.

Hussey reached three figures off 153 balls via a back foot cover drive off leg spinner Adil Rashid which brought him his 15th boundary. It was Hussey's first ton in any form of cricket for nine months since his 146 against India in a Test match in Bangalore last October.

Hussey's efforts enabled the tourists to overcome a mid- innings wobble, in which they lost four wickets for 32 runs in ten overs, to reach 337 for eight from 90 overs by the close.

Hussey remained unbeaten on 143 from 221 deliveries with 18 fours.