Lancashire 320 Surrey 106-7

There are few times when the Oval's swollen acres are so reduced by mighty hitting that the ground resembles some neatly manicured bowling green.

Ian Botham did it against India in 1982, Gilbert Jessop, that legendary smiter, did it against Australia in 1902 and yesterday Andrew Flintoff indulged in a little shrinkage when he scored 137 off 106 for Lancashire against Surrey.

Poor Surrey, who are 106 for seven in reply to Lancashire's 320 in this table-topper, face the possibility of defeat inside two days.

When Flintoff is clean hitting, as he was yesterday, he resembles someone who has strolled into a match from Swift's Brobdingnag in Gulliver's Travels. His scale is all wrong.

After an hour of mayhem the pained expressions worn by the Surrey players suggested that they would like to see Flintoff banned from the game forthwith. There surely must be some weights and measures ruling that forbids giants such as this trampling all over the game?

He has form in these parts. Two years ago, in a NatWest quarter-final, he struck a 111-ball 135 not out here, a knock described by David Gower as one of the greatest in one-day cricket.

If his innings that day was technically better - his big blows went straighter - yesterday's performance was just as destructive. There were three sixes, two pulled off Azhar Mahmood and one flat and straight off Ian Salisbury. There were also 20 fours in his 163-ball knock.

Not content with that, Flintoff's bucket-sized hands then caught Mark Butcher at second slip, a sharp catch this. And then Flintoff the bowler charged in to dismiss Alec Stewart for a second-ball duck before having Alistair Brown caught at point three balls later.

It was an extraordinary day's cricket, with 212 runs coming in the Flintoff-dominated afternoon session. But it did not resemble a one-day match, where a defensive field is used. In the face of the onslaught Surrey maintained an attacking field. This was toe-to-toe stuff with little caution from either side; it was a little like watching Manchester United play, say, West Ham.

Lancashire chose to bat on a decent pitch and they had cause to reproach themselves when they lunched on 108 for three because two of those wickets had been thrown away.

Alec Swann ran himself out and Mark Chilton was caught and bowled as he slogged Salisbury's high full toss, a poor moment of cricket. Only David Byas, who had his off bail trimmed by Alex Tudor, had fallen to a good delivery.

But Flintoff, playing his first and possibly last championship fixture of the season, changed the balance of the match with his first century at this level for two years.

The 10 overs after lunch yielded 85 runs as Flintoff reached his fifty with 11 fours. Then he hit 19 from one Azhar over: 4-2-4-2-6-1. After 50 overs Lancashire were 230 for six, better than some of their miserable B&H efforts.

Flintoff's century came from 75 balls. After that he attempted to be responsible but with wickets tumbling at the other end there was little point. He was last out, stumped by Stewart, his fifth dismissal.

Surrey's reply was ruined by an opening burst from Glen Chapple, who dismissed Mark Butcher, Mark Ramprakash and Graham Thorpe for seven runs in 15 deliveries.

The day, though, was Flintoff's. In the past bowlers complained of being "Nedded" by Wayne "Ned" Larkins. Yesterday Surrey were "Fredded".