Flintoff trio boosts Lancs

Andrew Flintoff ripped out Durham's top-order batsmen

Andrew Flintoff’s batting woes went from bad to worse when he bagged another duck in Lancashire’s LV County Championship game against Durham at Old Trafford - but his bowling could yet rescue his hopes of an England recall.

The 30-year-old all-rounder faced five balls in his side’s second innings on the second day of the LV Division One fixture before being bowled by rookie medium-pacer Garry Park.

Flintoff was caught behind in the first innings off the bowling of Mark Davies to record a golden duck. The failure brought up the fourth pair of his career.

He has also now recorded three consecutive ducks in the LV County Championship on the back of his nought against Somerset a fortnight ago.

However, his county were still able to take control of this fixture after setting Durham 323 to win on a bowler-friendly pitch. Lancashire were bowled out for 293 in their second innings.

Predictably Flintoff then steamed in to claim three wickets for seven runs in a brutal six-over spell that reduced Durham to 28 for three at close.

Paul Horton hit his second first-class century of 2008, his first in the championship, to help the Red Rose build on an incredible first day.

After day one yielded 20 wickets, as both sides were bowled out for less than 150, the game took on a calmer demeanour.

Horton reached three figures from 174 balls, with 16 fours and one six included in a valuable knock. He was helped along by opener Mark Chilton’s 37 and Mohammad Yousuf’s 40.

Paul Wiseman recorded good figures of 4-87 with his spin

Chilton and Mal Loye both fell to the off-spin of Paul Wiseman before Horton and Yousuf put on 74 for the third wicket.

The Pakistan Test batsman then fell to Wiseman, strangled down the leg-side, to help give the former New Zealand international figures of 4-87 off 24 overs. He later removed Luke Sutton.

Despite Yousuf’s departure the hosts were in cruise control - further added to by a solid fourth-wicket stand of 35 between Horton and captain Stuart Law.

But that was when Park, a 25 year-old bowling his first ever spell in championship cricket, halted Lancashire‘s batting charge.

Park ripped out Law’s off stump with the fourth ball of his second over and then did the same to Flintoff with the third ball of his next over. He finished with impressive figures of 2-20 from eight overs.

Law was squared up playing off the back foot while Flintoff was bowled through the gate driving.

He hit the ground with his bat in frustration having waved it at the crowd who had sarcastically acknowledged him surviving the first ball.

Law and Flintoff’s dismissals sparked a flurry of wickets that reduced the hosts from 224 for three to 293 all out.

It was a spell of seven wickets in 19.3 overs to at least give Durham some kind of hope of forcing a win that had looked a near impossible task just before tea.

Horton was run out by Park for 108 while Mitch Claydon and Mark Davies (2-44) picked up the other three wickets.

But then Flintoff removed Mark Stoneman, Kyle Coetzer and England colleague Paul Collingwood all caught behind by Luke Sutton.

At that point he had claimed three wickets for no runs in eleven balls and boosted his chances of a Test return through volume of wickets rather than runs.