Andrew Flintoff Back in Groove for Bowling But Not Batting

Andrew Flintoff should have come in when Lancashire lost their third wicket, for 50, just a few minutes before lunch. Instead, Mark Chilton filled the breech. A lunch-watchman? Arguably that sent out a message of unease.

Perhaps that was underlined when Lancashire, chasing an unlikely 274, lost their fourth wicket at 64 soon after lunch, and the Protected One emerged. Against Steve Harmison, who dismissed him cheaply in the first innings, he played four balls reasonably soundly and then found himself at the other end ­facing the impressive Graham Onions. He immediately opened his shoulders and tried to hit over mid-off. If Flintoff had looked a giant with the ball, he was now a giant with feet of clay, for he seemed heavy-footed. The ball was only half hit and Mitchell Claydon, a 15st fast bowler, threw himself to the right to hold a stunning one-handed catch.

The duck meant it was three runs in the match for the England all-rounder. But his bowling was another matter. No one could have done more to try to ­rescue Lancashire. He looked a picture of health and fitness: lean of face and also clean-shaven. The ­bowling engine looked like a newly reconditioned one that needed only ­minimal running-in. "He played at an intensity which will have been good for him and hit a pretty good rhythm," said the Lancashire coach, Peter Moores.

Despite his efforts, Lancashire had surrendered a first-innings lead, of 128, that was to prove decisive. In Durham's second innings Flintoff showed his true worth, as he repeatedly hit an awkward length and beat the bat. Only a single came from his opening six overs. Yesterday he claimed Durham's final wicket (making it four successive ducks for Harmison) and, although his return was a modest two wickets, he bowled the most overs – 15.4 – for 30 runs.

Unfortunately for his side, Durham had been badly let off the hook the previous evening when Ian Blackwell was reprieved on 18. Wicketkeeper Luke Sutton had pouched the simple edge, but then lost the ball in celebrating prematurely. It was a grievous error, as ­Blackwell is the sort of phlegmatic character able to play normally with the rest of his side deeply mired. His 74, and a partnership with Callum Thorp that more than doubled the score from 57 for six, effectively sealed the match.

Sajid Mahmood had taken a career-best six for 30, but on a wicket of ­unreliable bounce, Harmison and Onions proved their own demonstration of seriously good fast bowling. Harmison bowled with rare control and fire, ending with five for 46.

Durham certainly reinforced their status as county champions. This, their first victory over Lancashire at the Riverside, meant that in their past two games here their opponents' innings have been 105, 96, 116 and 135. That is some fire power.