Cricket

Rocky Flintoff Makes Historic County Championship Debut for LancashireRocky Flintoff, the 16-year-old son of England cricket legend Andrew Flintoff, has etched his name in the history books by becoming the youngest-ever County Championship debutant for Lancashire. The highly anticipated moment arrived on Thursday at The Oval, where Rocky took to the crease against Surrey.Batting at No. 4, Rocky faced a daunting task as Lancashire stumbled to 33/2 in the early stages. Undeterred, he displayed remarkable composure against the experienced Sam Curran, patiently playing out seven consecutive dot balls before finding his first boundary.Rocky's determination paid dividends as he gradually gained confidence, hitting three more boundaries to showcase his technical prowess. However, his promising innings was halted in the 30th over when Jordan Clark dismissed him for 32. Sai Sudharsan's brilliant catch at point ended Rocky's knock, leaving Lancashire in a precarious position at 98/4.Despite his dismissal, Rocky's early innings provided a glimpse of his immense potential. His solid cricketing foundation was evident in his ability to handle the pressure of a first-class debut and contribute valuable runs.Surrey's bowlers continued to assert their dominance, eventually bowling out Lancashire for a total of 204. Rocky's innings, though brief, served as a testament to his talent and the high expectations surrounding his cricketing career.

Surrey asserted their dominance on the opening day of their Vitality County Championship clash against Lancashire at the Kia Oval, restricting the visitors to 204 before reaching 83 without loss in reply.Lancashire's batting lineup struggled against Surrey's potent seam attack, with no batsman reaching the half-century mark. Matty Hurst top-scored with a gritty 46, while George Balderson and Josh Bohannon contributed 33 and 26 respectively.The highlight of the day was the debut of 16-year-old Rocky Flintoff, son of former England captain Andrew Flintoff. The young all-rounder showed glimpses of his potential, scoring a creditable 32 before being caught at backward point.Surrey's bowlers were in fine form, with Jordan Clark leading the way with four wickets for 57 runs. Dan Worrall claimed three wickets, while Conor McKerr and Sam Curran each took two.In reply, Surrey openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley put on an unbeaten 83-run partnership. Burns looked particularly impressive, hitting successive boundaries off George Balderson's medium pace.The match was halted early due to bad light, but Surrey will be confident of extending their lead on day two.

Middlesex secured a crucial five-wicket victory over Lancashire in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup clash at Emirates Old Trafford, boosting their chances of reaching the knockout stages.Lancashire's innings got off to a shaky start, losing two early wickets. However, 16-year-old debutant Kesh Fonseka (42) and Rocky Flintoff (88) steadied the ship with a 58-run partnership. Flintoff, playing his fifth innings for Lancashire, reached his maiden fifty for the county, hitting six fours and two sixes.Despite Flintoff's heroics, Middlesex's bowlers kept the pressure on, with Henry Brookes (4-43) and Ethan Bamber (2-31) sharing seven wickets. Lancashire's innings ended on 233 for 9 in the rain-reduced 48-over match.In reply, Middlesex openers Joe Cracknell (98) and Sam Robson (87*) put on a dominant 175-run partnership for the second wicket. Cracknell reached his fifty off 71 balls, while Robson reached his half-century off 64 balls.Lancashire fought back late in the innings, taking four wickets in quick succession. However, Robson remained unbeaten, guiding Middlesex to victory with eight balls to spare. Josh Boyden (2-35) and Jack Morley (3-48) were the pick of the Lancashire bowlers.The victory keeps Middlesex in contention for a place in the knockout stages, while Lancashire's hopes of qualification are fading.

Kent emerged victorious in a thrilling five-run victory over Lancashire in the Metro-Bank One-Day Trophy, despite a valiant century from Keaton Jennings.Lancashire's pursuit of 210 began promisingly, but they lost early wickets to Beyers Swanepoel. Jennings and Balderson steadied the ship, but Stobo's double strike left them reeling at 65 for 4.Jennings found support from Flintoff and Green, but Parkinson's leg-before dismissal of Green put Kent back in control. Blatherwick's sixes kept Lancashire in the hunt, but Swanepoel's catch and bowl of Blatherwick and Parkinson's dismissal of Williams left them needing 15 off two overs.Jennings reached his century, but Barnard's run-out and Sutton's dismissal off the second ball of the final over sealed Kent's victory.For Kent, Finch top-scored with 48, while Parkinson's 4 for 30 and Swanepoel's 3 for 26 were crucial. Jennings' unbeaten 107 was in vain for Lancashire, who fell just short of their target.

England Under-19s continued their dominance in the second Youth Men's Test against Sri Lanka at Cheltenham, thanks to a record-breaking performance by Rocky Flintoff. The 16-year-old became the youngest player to score a century for England Under-19s, hitting an impressive 106 to help the Young Lions post a mammoth 477 in their first innings.Flintoff, who recently signed his first professional contract with Lancashire, faced 181 balls and struck nine fours and two sixes. He added a crucial 78 for the sixth wicket with Jack Carney, ensuring England extended their lead to 324 runs.Sri Lanka's bowlers, led by Vihas Thewmika and Praveen Maneesha, stuck to their task but were unable to contain England's relentless batting.In their second innings, Sri Lanka showed more resilience but still face an uphill battle to save the game. Mahith Perera and Dinuru Kalupahana added 88 for the fifth wicket, but England's bowlers, led by Harry Moore and Farhan Ahmed, made crucial breakthroughs to leave the tourists 78 runs behind at the close of play.Moore, a 17-year-old Derbyshire prospect, played a key role with two wickets, while Ahmed also took two. Spinner Charlie Barnard chipped in with a wicket as England reasserted their superiority.Sri Lanka's bowlers, Thewmika and Maneesha, returned figures of 3 for 82 and 3 for 112 respectively in the first innings, but found conditions less favorable in the second innings.England's victory in this match will give them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The final match will be played at Lord's from August 17-20.

Rocky Flintoff, the 16-year-old son of legendary England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, has taken a significant step in his cricketing journey by signing his first professional contract with Lancashire. The promising young batsman has impressed with his performances for the Lancashire 2nd XI this season, earning him a place in the England Under-19s squad.Flintoff's journey with Lancashire began at the age of 8, and he has since progressed through the club's academy system. His talent was evident in his four appearances for the 2nd XI this season, where he showcased his batting prowess with a half-century against Durham and a century against Warwickshire.The similarities between Rocky's batting technique and that of his father have drawn attention on social media, highlighting the potential he possesses. His signing with Lancashire is a testament to his hard work and dedication, and it marks a significant milestone in his cricketing career."I'm very happy and excited to have signed my first professional contract with Lancashire," said Rocky Flintoff. "It's something that I've been working towards since I started playing cricket, so to sign for my home county is a dream come true."Lancashire's director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, praised Rocky's performances and attitude. "He has impressed the coaching staff with his performances and determined attitude for the Second XI already this season," said Chilton. "He is a grounded individual and knows the work starts now for him to fulfil his potential in the years ahead."Rocky's father, Andrew Flintoff, made his Lancashire debut in 1995 and went on to become one of England's most iconic all-rounders. He played over 200 times across formats and played a pivotal role in England's Ashes victory in 2005. Rocky will now look to follow in his father's footsteps and establish himself as a top-class cricketer.

Rocky Flintoff, the 16-year-old son of former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, has been selected for the England Under-19 squad for their upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Despite his young age, Flintoff has impressed for Lancashire 2nd XI this season, making his debut two days after his 16th birthday and scoring a maiden century in April.The U19 squad boasts several other family connections. Essex all-rounder Luc Benkenstein, son of former South Africa batter and current Lancashire head coach Dale Benkenstein, will captain the team. Offspinner Farhan Ahmed, younger brother of England international Rehan Ahmed, has also been included after signing his first professional contract with Nottinghamshire. Durham wicketkeeper Haydon Mustard, whose father Phil earned 12 white-ball caps with England, and Somerset's Thomas Rew, another keeper-batter and the younger brother of the highly touted James Rew, have also been selected.Nine players from the squad represented England at the U19 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year, where they finished sixth overall. However, Ben McKinney, who captained the team at the World Cup, and Hamza Shaikh were not considered for selection as they are likely to play for a County Select XI against West Indies in a three-day match.England Men Under-19s coach Mike Yardy expressed excitement about the squad, saying, "We have selected an exciting squad for the series, with a blend of some players who are currently playing in the Vitality Blast and some younger players for whom it will be their first time in an Under-19s squad."The squad for the two-match Youth Test series with Sri Lanka will be announced later this month.

Rocky Flintoff, the son of former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, has made a remarkable start to his cricket career, scoring a maiden century for Lancashire's 2nd XI at the age of 16.Flintoff, who made his second-team debut earlier this month, reached three figures against Warwickshire at Edgbaston after a 39-run partnership with his older brother Corey. Batting at No. 5, Flintoff hit several early boundaries off Warwickshire's highly-rated seamer Che Simmons, including an inside-edge past his leg stump. He also hit a brace of leg-side sixes, the first reminiscent of his dad's pull shot and the second an effortless pick-up over midwicket.Flintoff put on exactly 100 in 14.3 overs with Saqib Mahmood, the England fast bowler, who is captaining Lancashire's 2nd XI as he continues his rehabilitation from a back stress fracture. He also spent 13 overs batting with his older Corey, 18, with the pair adding 39 for the seventh wicket.He reached his hundred when cutting Lintott through cover-point for a single, raising his left hand aloft in celebration as he ran through before raising his bat.Both Flintoff brothers have been in Lancashire's academy since a young age, and have played club cricket for Southport and Birkdale. They both attend Manchester Grammar School, the alma mater of former England players Michael Atherton and John Crawley as well as Lancashire's director of cricket Mark Chilton.Their father Andrew has returned to cricket in the last nine months, after suffering serious injuries in a high-speed crash while filming an episode of Top Gear in 2022. He will continue to work as a consultant with England at June's T20 World Cup after spending time with their white-ball and Lions teams, and will coach Northern Superchargers in the men's Hundred this summer.

Rocky Flintoff, the 16-year-old son of legendary England cricketer Andrew Flintoff, has made a promising start to his cricketing career by scoring a half-century in a Second XI Championship match for Lancashire.Batting at number three, Rocky scored 50 runs off 78 balls, including two fours and three sixes. His innings was reminiscent of his father's aggressive batting style, particularly his short arm pull and hook shots.Rocky's performance drew comparisons to Andrew's iconic pull shot against Brett Lee during the 2005 Ashes series, which England won. The younger Flintoff's sixes, including a classy pull shot, evoked memories of his father's dominance as a batting all-rounder.Rocky's elder brother, Corey, also played in the match and bowled four overs for Lancashire, conceding 19 runs. The match ended in a draw on Thursday due to rain.Andrew Flintoff, who represented England from 1998 to 2009, was a formidable all-rounder. In 79 Tests, he scored 3,845 runs at an average of 31.77, with five centuries and 36 fifties. He also took 226 wickets. In 141 ODIs, Flintoff scored 3,394 runs at an average of 32.01, with three centuries and 18 fifties. He also took 169 wickets in the format. In seven T20Is, he scored 76 runs and took five wickets.Rocky's half-century is a testament to his potential as a cricketer. With his father's legacy and his own talent, he has the potential to follow in his footsteps and become a successful international cricketer.