Flintoff targets first Test of the summer
11:30pm Friday 21st March 2008
IF Andrew Flintoff has his wish, he will play in the first Test match of the English summer against New Zealand on May 15.
The Red Rose and England all-rounder continued his recovery from ankle surgery last night by winning the man-of-the-match award in Lancashire's pre-season friendly defeat against Yorkshire. He took 1-21 in four overs and hit 51 off 60 balls with the bat.
"I would love to play a Test match at Lord's, but the one thing that I am not going to do is get carried away," he said after the 41-run loss.
"I know that if I want to play for England, then I have got to be fit. I have got to focus all my energies on playing for Lancashire. If I can stay fit and perform, then I would hopefully be in the shake up on May 15. The ankle is fine. It wasn't too taxing, and I am happy with the way things are. I also got a few runs, it was nice to spend a bit of time in the middle.
"Everybody tells me I am at 70 percent, but I don't know - I might be at 72. I am certainly not hitting the crease as hard as I would like, but it feels good and easy. I was always confident that once I was fit that my bowling would be fine."
Lancashire could have quite easily won their fourth Pro Arch Series game after bowling Yorkshire out for 237 in Abu Dhabi. Simon Marshall led the way with 4-45.
But the Red Rose county struggled with the bat, falling to 80-5 until Flintoff and Glen Chapple - he also hit 51 - united in an entertaining sixth wicket partnership of 74.
However, Yorkshire's David Wainwright impressed with 3-31 to bowl Lancs out for 196.
Lancashire must now wait to find out whether they have won the Pro Arch Series. It is all down to Yorkshire and Somerset, who are the only sides who can win all of their four games.