Lancashire 347 Kent 12-0

First Division

Lancashire 347 Kent 12-0

When Andrew Flintoff plays cricket, as he did here yesterday, he looks out of scale with his fellows: an Action Man among lead soldiers, a Dinky among the Matchboxes.

Flintoff struck 154 from 158 balls, pulling Lancashire round from 52 for five to a total of 347. It was his 11th century and his second of the season, after a run-a-ball 111 against Middlesex at Lord's.

He is playing only because he considers himself out of the running for next week's Test against Zimbabwe; he has an injured shoulder which hinders bowling and fielding. On this showing he could play simply as a batsman.

Frequently he found the boundary with mistimed strokes, such as his pull through midwicket for four off Greg Blewett and his hooked six to long-leg off Martin Saggers. But there were wonderful strokes too. He was off the mark with a flat straight six off Mark Ealham and hit the same bowler for another straight six with a casual swish.

The Kent crowd, who had come to pay homage to the return of Carl Hooper, witnessed something just as audacious as any of the West Indian's myriad miracles.

Flintoff was on 21 at lunch, when Lancashire were 81 for five, and he had James Tredwell for desert, hitting his first over after the interval for 4, 0, 0, 6, 6, 4, the sixes going over long-on and to cow corner.

He gave a sharp chance to Tredwell at slip on 76 and an easier one to Saggers at mid-off on 131 in an over from Alamgir Sheriyar which also saw two pulled sixes over square-leg and a straight drive which plucked out the middle stump at the bowler's end. He was seventh out at 284 when his back-foot force was well caught by Tredwell at point to give Ealham his fifth wicket.

Mike Watkinson, Lancashire's cricket manager, said: "It was a great knock but to be fair Freddie's been playing like that all season. His shot selection is better these days. He's got a better idea of what to leave alone. But when he does hit it . . . I've not seen anyone in the English game hit it as hard as him, and that includes Ian Botham."

The morning had belonged to Kent as Ealham found such improbable swing that he had a spell of four for six from 22 deliveries, mocking Stuart Law's decision to bat.

Saggers made the breakthrough when he had Alec Swann lbw playing half-forward, then Ealham blew away Lancashire's vaunted middle order. Mark Chilton, driving, did not get to the pitch of the ball and edged to second slip, and Lancashire lost their third wicket when Law edged to the keeper. When Ealham then had Hooper lbw he had taken three without conceding a run with the score on 43.

Few overseas players have given as much pleasure as Hooper, who played for Kent from 1992-98. Alas, like Law he failed to score, Ealham deceiving him with a slower delivery which did not swing.