Flintoff returns for Lanashire against Surrey:16-19 April.

[Ernest]

Well the moment of truth for Freddie Flintoff is soon to arrive, he makes his comeback proper for Lancashre against Surrey:-

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE
Venue: The Oval Dates: 16-19 April Start time: 1100 BST each day

LINK: BBC SPORT | Cricket | Counties | Flintoff set for Lancs comeback
For those working you can listen on Radio London on line, or on DAB radio also.

nb; Radio London covers all Surrey and Middlesex games I am sure.

Lancashire cricket manager Mike Watkinson said: "He is looking fit and strong and we are really keen on him playing a full part in our opening fixture of the season.

Moores says he is not rushing Freddie back into the England side: But he can't keep him wrapped in cotton wool much longer - or Freddie will be getting to old to be of any use as a front line bowler.

Will Freddie ever be at his 2004/2005 high?, well a class player is not over the top at thirty - but getting that way, so the sooner he returns the better for him and for England.
Second question: Is Mike Watkinson right?, is Flintoff back fit and strong, and will he also be at full pace?.

[darksideofthemoon]

I'm glad to see Chilton hasn't been included.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Ernest

or Freddie will be getting to old to be of any use as a front line bowler.

Blimey Ern, he is only 30!! if he was Australian he would probably still not have got a central contract yet!!

I wonder though if age is going to be the problem preventing him from bowling as he did. I am not convinced that his bowling will be as good, due purely to the fact that he has had so many operations, and I feel to avoid future injury, he will have to change his action to prevent all the weight of his frame passing through the ankle again and again.

The other factor is his batting, I know the England's batting line up has not been so strong of late, but do we need to weaken it further to accommodate the extra bowler.

The fact is that since the 2005 Ashes he has played 14 Tests, not scored a hundred and averages just over 30. We are struggling to make big scores, and having him at Number 6 could be a liability.

I would only have him back in the side once he has proved his fitness, and also started making some serious runs for Lancashire, that means hundreds and plenty of them.

[darksideofthemoon]

Even if Flintoff is fit I don't think he will be picked for the NZ Tests. The selectors will want to see which batsman they want to drop after the NZ Tests. I think he will make his first appearence in the NZ ODIs.

From M.E.N. -
Iain Sutcliffe, who only played three games last year after a poor run of form, will open alongside player of the year Paul Horton. "It was a tough decision," said cricket manager Mike Watkinson. "We have three decent openers and only two spots.

"With what Horton did last year we thought he deserved another chance, and the deciding factor is that Sutcliffe is looking on top of his game in practice and with the way he is playing it would be unfair not to include him.

"What Mark has given to the club over a number of years made the decision more difficult, but we do not pick the team on sentiment."

Chilton instead looks set to play for Newton-le-Willows against Sefton Park on Saturday after he signed for the Liverpool Competition side.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

Blimey Ern, he is only 30!! if he was Australian he would probably still not have got a central contract yet!!

True FF, but he can't keep missing series at his age, he needs to show he is either fit or not as soon as possible.

If he is fit enough to play a 4 dayer against Surrey, then he should be Ok to play in 5 day Tests IMO.

Originally Posted by flanflinger

I would only have him back in the side once he has proved his fitness, and also started making some serious runs for Lancashire, that means hundreds and plenty of them.

With respect FF - I don't agree. He is a bowling all rounder who is a good enough bowler to walk into the side even if he was a rabbit with the bat.

IMO if he maintains his mid 30's average then he should be in the side at 7, or probably 6.

Originally Posted by darksideofthemoon

Chilton instead looks set to play for Newton-le-Willows against Sefton Park on Saturday after he signed for the Liverpool Competition side.

Sad!!

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Ernest

IMO if he maintains his mid 30's average then he should be in the side at 7, or probably 6.

Really, all winter you have been posting that our batting is not strong enough, and yet you would have a guy who averages 30 at No6?

Until we see him bowl, and if he can get back to the Flintoff prior to the operations, I would agree that he should walk back into the side, but as part of a four man attack?

You know I am a big fan of Flintoff, but if he is not bowling at the same standard, or can't bowl long spells, and is not doing enough with the bat to justify a No6 slot, then I would wonder whether he can come back into the team.

The great thing about a fit and firing Flintoff is that he can add balance to the side, an attacking no 6 capable of scoring quick hundreds, and able to bowl at 90+ accurately and consistently. The problem is that if his bowling has suffered due to his operations, and if he is not firing with the bat (which he hasn't been since the Ashes) then at No 6 he is a liability, and if he is part of a four man attack he is a liability.

I would suggest that he spends the NZ test series with Lancashire, and when he is back to something near his best, then I would consider him.

[acker]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

Blimey Ern, he is only 30!! if he was Australian he would probably still not have got a central contract yet!!

Don't worry the jungle drums are running hot through the Australian supporter groups at the moment

And one coach and the entire group of selectors have been put on very short notice that even got shorter with the ridiculous selection of Nofke, taking into account supporter thoughts about the extremely short sighted current selection process relating to pace bowlers.

Doug Bollingers selection over the back injured non performing Hilfenhaus pacified us a bit.

The Sh%t will hit the fan if Peter Siddle makes a successful comeback from shoulder surgery and is held up by a Nofke type of 30+ yo paceman.

Including the maybe going backwards Stuart Clark.

But forget bowling Merv, Booney and Hilditch reckon they have re-invented the wheel batting, including re-inventing Simon Katich.

The new improved Super Katich shuffles across to 6 inches past off stump prior to the ball arriving, not just some of the time.

ALL OF THE TIME

Now in Australian domestic cricket playing half his matches on the SCG he is averaging almost 100.

AND HE IS NOW BACK IN THE AUSTRALIAN TEST TEAM

And I am slightly concerned regardless of all the great books written over the years about batting techniques.

Simon Katich in the wilderness may have re-invented the wheel, or as a lot of us suspect he may have just invented a technique suitable to scoring lots of runs on the slow and low SCG wicket and not much else.

But he has sold the Australian selectors.

As John Lennon said "strange days indeed, most peculiar momma"

Even more peculiar if it works....no one will be taking mark on middle or even middle and off anymore.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

Really, all winter you have been posting that our batting is not strong enough, and yet you would have a guy who averages 30 at No6?

Flintoff's career average has never been higher than the mid 30's, he was averaging over forty in 2005/05 and 50+ in India in 2006.

But the fact is that the England top order NEED to perform so as NOT to expose a player like Flintoff to the fresh bowlers like is often the case.

He will score more runs ay 6, if the top order gives a start to the innings - a matter that has been missing sinse before 2005.
We don't need or want to go back to 2004 when Flintoff - Jones - Giles and Thorpe carried the England batting.

Originally Posted by flanflinger

I would only have him back in the side once he has proved his fitness, and also started making some serious runs for Lancashire, that means hundreds and plenty of them.

With respect FF - are you not expecting a tad to much from a number 6, when the top 4 of the England order can't manage what you ask of Flintoff.

[darksideofthemoon]

How many runs will Sutton's drop cost us?

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Ernest

With respect FF - are you not expecting a tad to much from a number 6, when the top 4 of the England order can't manage what you ask of Flintoff.

The fact is Ern that all of England's current top 6 average over 40

Strauss - 41.14
Cook - 43.46
Vaughan - 42.47
Pietersen - 49.74
Bell - 43.15
Collingwood - 42.54

In Thorpe's era, he was the only one to achieve that figure (consistently). The fact is that Collingwood is currently at Number 6, and yes I do expect him to score hundreds. To drop any of those guys, and replace them with Flintoff would be folly IMO, unless he starts scoring a high volume of runs at County level, to prove that he is back to his best.

Unless that happens he will have to bat at 7, and be part of a four man attack, and unless you can guarantee that injury will not prevent him from bowling sufficient overs, or not breaking down, I would not risk him.

With this in mind, I would be in no hurry to get him involved against New Zealand. I would see if he can bowl the required overs at County level, without hindrance, and start scoring serious runs so that he can play in the Top 6 on merit.