Flintoff Proves Fitness As Trescothick Turns Four Lives to Account

One is desperate to earn an England recall for next month's first Test against New Zealand, the other happy to forget international cricket and spend the season with Somerset. But whatever the motivation of Andrew Flintoff and Marcus Trescothick this was a productive day for both.

Flintoff took two for 40 from two eight-over spells, longer than any he had supplied in a total of 28 overs in Lancashire's championship match against Surrey at The Oval last week. He concedes he still needs runs to secure his place at Lord's.

He could have had Trescothick caught at gully on 32 or at point on 46 in a lively, probing but wicketless first burst before lunch but he will presumably not have begrudged his former Test team-mate a pleasing 77 in his first championship innings of the year.

"Getting dropped four times and coming through with 77, you take that," said the 32-year-old, who clubbed 12 boundaries in his uncomplicated way to support his claim that he is still up for the challenge. "I was as nervous as ever this morning, waking up and knowing it was the first day of the season and we were facing a good side. We'll probably not see a better attack all season than Lancashire's, which shows what a challenge it's going to be for us in the First Division this season."

On Flintoff Trescothick was unequivocal. "Bowling-wise he's ready to go. That was consistent pace and the normal Freddie, the same as he'll bowl in a Test, and you never would have known he's had much of a lay-off."

A Somerset team missing Neil Edwards on compassionate leave and Andy Caddick after the latest worrying recurrence of his back trouble were 123 for four when Trescothick was out, highlighting the mess they could have been in after choosing to bat if Lancashire had taken the first of their chances to dismiss him, on 10.

Stuart Law's drop, low at second slip in James Anderson's fourth over of the season, continued a worrying trend after Mark Ramprakash had been missed on nought both in the last game of 2007, when he punished them with a double century, and last week at The Oval, when he reached three figures. However, this one did not prove so expensive as Anderson, who ended with two for 41 on a solid return to action, resumed after lunch to find Trescothick's outside edge again. This time Law held on.

Wickets fell steadily after that, with Flintoff taking the next two. Peter Trego was squared up and caught behind by a leg-cutter and Craig Kieswetter pinned lbw by a swinging yorker.

Ian Blackwell's 64 included a couple of leg-side sixes off Simon Marshall, the leg-spinner who replaced the injured Gary Keedy and opened with a beamer but otherwise bowled tidily enough. His role was always going to be peripheral, assuming Lancashire's high-caliber seam quartet delivered, and they all chipped in.

Glen Chapple took the first two wickets in an 11-over opening spell, undoing John Francis with swing and having Justin Langer athletically caught by Sajid Mahmood from a top-edged pull. Mahmood struggled up the hill and into the breeze at first but was more effective when he switched ends after tea, having Blackwell caught behind down the leg side and ending with figures of three for 54.