Flintoff underlines Test class

Andrew Flintoff and Staurt Law cross as Lancashire near victory over Hampshire

Andrew Flintoff booked his return to international cricket with a glimpse of his explosive best as he led Lancashire to victory on the final morning of their LV County Championship clash against Hampshire.

Having impressed with his fast, hostile bowling throughout the Division One encounter at the Rose Bowl, the all-rounder gave a reminder of his batting talent with a knock of 39 not out, including the winning four off Greg Lamb.

His typically bullish innings took just 23 balls, including three fours and three sixes and eased any nerves as the Red Rose cruised to 165 for four and victory by six wickets.

Dimitri Mascarenhas provided brave resistance, removing both Paul Horton (18) and Lou Vincent (41), but it was not enough.

Yorkshire produced a gutsy performance in the field against Kent but could not prevent a disappointing three-wicket defeat at Canterbury.

The home side made their modest target with a chase of 142 for seven, but had some nervy moments along the way.

Matthew Hoggard and Adil Rashid shared the first four wickets to leave Kent on 63 with six wickets left, but Martin van Jaarsveld struck a vital 47 to put the batsmen in the ascendancy.

He then became one of three wickets for Pakistan seamer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who looked like he might win it for Yorkshire with a dangerous spell.

Wicketkeeper Geraint Jones (20no) held firm though, putting on an unbeaten 34-run stand with Yasir Arafat (19no) to close out the win.

Championship leaders Nottinghamshire, who now lead Lancashire by a single point, were indebted to Samit Patel as they fought off the possibility of a shock defeat to strugglers Surrey.

Patel scored an undefeated 134 to steer the hosts to a match-saving 372 for six at Trent Bridge, putting on 165 for the seventh wicket with Graeme Swann (68no).

Jade Dernbach and Pedro Collins both took two wickets as they tried to force the issue for the Brown Caps, but Patel would not falter.

Samit Patel en route to 134 which secured a draw for hosts Nottinghamshire against Surrey

Durham also batted out for a draw against Somerset at Chester-le-Street.

Michael Di Venuto (44) and Dale Benkenstein (50) did the bulk of the spade work as the visiting attack toiled to force an unlikely win, but both fell before the captains shook hands.

In Division Two, Glamorgan batsman Mike Powell compiled a diligent 86 not out at the SWALEC Stadium to steer his side to safety against Essex.

The Welsh side were staring down the barrel on an innings defeat at one point as they stuttered to 77 for three having been rolled over for 132 first time out, but Powell’s 215-ball knock - along with sturdy efforts from David Hemp (61) and Jamie Dalrymple (35) - proved enough to earn them a share of the points.

Essex’s man of the moment Graham Napier transferred some of his stunning Twenty20 Cup form to the longer game with 2-28.

Middlesex were denied the win at Bristol by the narrowest of margins as Gloucestershire’s final pair Anthony Ireland and Ian Saxelby faced a combined 158 deliveries to save the game.

The hosts reached stumps nine down and 150 adrift of their nominal target on 174 for nine, but the stubborn showing of their 10th-wicket pair meant Middlesex were unable to convert their dominance.

Alan Richardson, with 3-34, and Tim Murtagh, who took 3-33, had tormented the top order but found no way past Ireland (16no in 91 balls) and Saxelby (11no in 67 balls).

It was a similar story at Derby, where James Allenby played the anchor role with 72 not out to secure a draw for Leicestershire against Derbyshire.

His knock underpinned a total of 202 for eight and ensured the home team would not take the victory despite fine efforts from strike pair Charl Langeveldt (3-64) and Graham Wagg (4-52).