SECOND XI REPORT: Flintoff hits century as Lancs pile on the runs at Edgbaston
Rocky Flintoff hit his maiden century for the Second XI in just his third game for the side as Lancashire piled up the runs against Warwickshire in this re-arranged Second XI Championship match at Edgbaston.
Flintoff, who made an unbeaten fifty in his previous second team outing last week, hit three sixes and 11 fours in making 116 and he is believed to be one of the youngest to achieve this landmark for Lancashire in the competition.
The 16-year-old came to the crease when Tom Aspinwall retired on 12 after appearing to suffer an injury that required attention following a defensive shot to spinner Jake Lintott. At that point Lancashire had made a positive start due to an opening partnership of 80 between Harry Singh and Cian Dickinson before the latter was bowled for 43 by Tom Davis with a seaming delivery.
George Lavelle edged Davis behind for 8 but Singh continued his good form to make his third half century in three games, bringing up his fifty with a six off left-armer Lintott, but then hitting the spinner to Davis at deep midwicket for 69 trying to repeat the shot.
Flintoff was then joined by Red Rose skipper Saqib Mahmood who put bat to ball in emphatic style, hitting 4 sixes and 2 fours in a 37-ball innings of 41, and adding exactly 100 in 14 overs with Flintoff for the fourth wicket.
Moments earlier, Flintoff had followed Singh’s earlier example by also hitting a six, this one over midwicket off pace bowler Jacob Garlick, to reach his fifty.
Once Mahmood departed, caught at deep square leg off spinner Tazeem Ali, Flintoff dominated the rest of the innings, adding two more sixes and playing some delightful shots all around the wicket in going to his hundred from 151 balls.
Josh Boyden (13), Corey Flintoff (20), and Charlie Barnard (35) all perished hitting out as Lancashire pushed the scoring along with Rocky Flintoff finally falling for an outstanding 116, caught at deep cover off Lintott with Lancashire declaring on 404-9.
The Warwickshire reply began badly with Hamza Shaikh run out for 1 after both batters found themselves at the same end. Left-handed opener Amir Khan then leg glanced Harry Birkman to Lavelle behind the stumps for 15 and nightwatch Davis was lbw to left arm spinner Barnard for 2 in the last over of the day.
That left the home side on 37-3 at the close and trailing by 367 runs with one day remaining.
TEAMS
Lancashire
Harry Singh, Cian Dickinson, George Lavelle (wkt), Rocky Flintoff, Saqib Mahmood (capt), Tom Aspinwall, Josh Boyden, Corey Flintoff, Charlie Barnard, Haider Hussain, Harry Birkman, Charlie Parkinson.
Warwickshire
Hamza Shaikh, Amir Khan, Ismail Mohammed, Sam Hain, Chris Benjamin, Jake Lintott (capt), Ollie Sutton, Che Simmons, George Maddy (wkt), Tom Davis, Tazeem Ali, Jacob Garlick.