Flintoff Back on Song But Ramprakash Hits the High Notes

There is a wonderful comic song called Right Said Fred by the late lyricist Myles Rudge. It starts: "Right, said Fred, both of us together, one on each end and steady as we go" and they seemed appropriate words for Freddie Flintoff as he bowled for the first time in a proper cricket match for eight months yesterday. Geoff Miller, the national selector, settled down for his vigil, for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's is less than a month away.

Flintoff looked fit and bowled well enough without seeming remotely ready for a return to Test cricket even though he is anxious to play. Hopefully Miller and the other selectors will remember the end of Rudge's song: "Trouble with Fred is, he's too hasty; never get anywhere if you're too hasty."

"He has been champing at the bit, he hasn't played for a long time," said Lancashire's captain, Stuart Law. "He is just happy to be out on the cricket field again. He has come through with no ill effects [from ankle surgery] and we are quite happy with the way he let them go."

Flintoff bowled three spells, which totaled 10.3 overs, and took a wicket before bad light brought a premature close. By then the England all-rounder had been upstaged by the magnificent Mark Ramprakash, who scored his fifth century in six championship innings.

It is now clear that Surrey enjoy watching Ramprakash as much as everyone else. Lancashire missed winning the championship for the first time in 73 years last season when Surrey beat them by 24 runs. Ramprakash, 38, scored 196 in the first innings after being missed on nought (he scored another unbeaten century in the second innings).

Yesterday Luke Sutton, the Lancashire wicketkeeper, dropped him off Oliver Newby when he had made just four. It was a sitter. Then, when he had scored 24, he might have been run out when he slipped going for a second but Flintoff, at mid-off, missed the stumps.

It was Ramprakash's 98th first-class hundred and he will soon become only the 25th batsman to score a century of centuries. He did not work hard in the nets in the winter, keeping himself fresh for the new season. Ramprakash has, however, been exceptionally diligent in the past week or so. His first fifty occupied 103 deliveries and there were times when Flintoff tied him down. But his second came from just 61 balls and he reached three figures when he pulled Newby savagely through mid-wicket.

Mark Butcher was almost as good and the pair put on 186 for the third wicket. Jonathan Batty was lbw to one that came into him from Newby.

Flintoff, sharp but not at full throttle, took a wicket with the second ball of his fourth over. It was a little short and leg-side and Scott Newman helped it on its way only to see Newby pull off a running, tumbling catch at fine-leg. It had been a long wait.