Andrew Flintoff Marks His Return From Injury With Two Wickets for Lancashire

Andrew Flintoff made a wicket-taking return to first-class cricket. Just 27 days before the Ashes begins and just six weeks after surgery on his right knee, the ­all‑rounder's regime of dawn-to-dusk rehab paid ­dividends when he bowled three spells in Lancashire's top-of-the‑table County Championship match with Durham, ­taking wickets with the second balls of his first and final spells as Durham finished on 212 for eight at Chester-le-Street.

Flintoff ended the day with figures of 12 overs, two for 30 – a reasonable ­starting point for a return to the England team considering Lancashire have two more four‑day matches before he would have to join up ahead of the first Ashes Test at Cardiff on 8 July. "It's been a really good day just getting on a cricket field," said Flintoff when rain ended play 12 overs early. "Rehab is one thing, but there is something really exciting about getting on the field. I may be a bit stiff in the morning, but I've enjoyed it."

His work throughout the week at Old Trafford had suggested that he might make his first appearance in a first-class match since England's third Test with West Indies at Antigua. His name did not appear in Lancashire's match-day 12, but he traveled with the team and when Tom Smith damaged his side in the warm-up any doubts about the 31-year-old playing went out of the window. "I knew this morning 100%," said Flintoff. "I got the nod formally. I was quite pleased with the way it came out but there is room for improvement."

Flintoff's first six-over spell was the kind of mixed bag to be expected considering he has not bowled in a match since sending down four overs in his final match in the Indian Premier League on 23 April. It started brightly enough with an Australian wicket second ball – the Tasmanian Michael Di Venuto, undone by extra pace so early in the spell, edging behind for 16 – and a wicket maiden before he started to drift a little leg-side.

Even so Flintoff never makes life easy for batsmen and he had the ­Durham captain, Will Smith, jumping about in the crease. In his previous match, against Hampshire, Smith dug in for 80 when things were not easy and Durham won by an innings to move into third place, one point behind Lancashire. Here there was some ducking and weaving to be done, but any edges or balls that ballooned away fell comfortably short of the close catchers.

For his sixth over Flintoff went around the wicket to the left-hander Mark Stoneham, but retired from action after being eased through the covers for four. By the time he returned – following lunch and the first two rain breaks of the day – the home side had lost another four wickets.

Smith played a horrid shot to Oliver Newby, adjusting his bat late so it just touched a delivery that started wide before going wider, and Gordon Muchall donated his wicket to Sajid Mahmood in equally unsatisfactory fashion – hitting a long-hop to point. Between the two Mahmood ended Stoneham's innings in more orthodox fashion, sliding the ­second delivery of his second spell across the left-hander on 45 and into Flintoff's safe hands at second slip.

The best bowling of the day, however, was coming from Lancashire's other all‑rounder, Glen Chapple, now in his 18th season with the county and his first as their captain. The 35-year-old kept Durham on tenterhooks all day, moving the ball away from the right-handers and, as with Ian Blackwell, back into the left-hander. Or most of the time.

Blackwell got a peach and was bowled middle and off between bat and pad at 143 for five, Dale Benkenstein edged to second slip where Flintoff gleefully accepted another opportunity and Callum Thorp was aiming through midwicket when the out swinger left him and took an edge on its way to ­second slip where on this occasion Paul Horton was waiting.

Between lunch and tea Lancashire's captain bowled 10 overs, four of them maidens, taking three for 14 and the legs from under Durham. Flintoff's second spell of four overs was also economical – four overs for seven runs – and produced one booming in swinger. The third and final two-over spell squeezed in before rain finally ended play brought the second wicket, Michael Claydon getting a lifter which he edged to wicketkeeper Luke Sutton. "Durham started well," said Flintoff, "then I managed to chip a wicket and Chappie took over. I don't think there is a better swing bowler in the country."