The Hindu : Flintoff flings Test England's way

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 08, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Flintoff flings Test England's way

By Ted Corbett

LONDON Sept. 7. Andrew Flintoff, hitting clean and with acute discrimination, changed the whole atmosphere of the final Test between England and South Africa at the Oval today; as a certain draw suddenly developed into a dramatic South African collapse. It may be the first sign that, at 24, Flintoff has turned into a batsman who can turn on the power to order. If that turns out to be so, England will be an immeasurably stronger side.

The game was perfectly set for the assault that brought Flintoff 95 from 104 balls with a dozen 4s and four 6s that climbed into the farthest reaches of the game as he and Steve Harmison, a batsman who rarely survives an over but who supported Flintoff for 90 minutes as the pair put on 99 from 110 balls, a record for the ninth wicket by any country against South Africa. The glory went to the giant Flintoff belting the ball far and wide but it was Harmison who played above himself.

There was more to this extraordinary stand than figures can tell you. Most of it was written on the face of Graham Smith who began with the confidence brought on by the fall of Martin Bicknell's wicket for nought in the first over of the day and finished without a bowler who could rid him of the turbulent tail-ender and with too few fielders to cope with Flintoff. Besides he could not, for shame, post a couple in the stands, could he?

The most impressive part of the Flintoff innings was his choice of shot and his mature refusal to be hurried into rash strokes. He protected Harmison, his best pal, from the strike to the extent that the gangling bowler made only two when the pair completed fifty; but Harmison concentrated on getting his bat in the way of Shaun Pollock's good length, Jacques Kallis's changes of pace and Andrew Hall's yorkers.

At the other end, Flintoff let fly. He reached 1,000 Test runs, he hit two 6s and a 4 of Makhaya Ntini and, three times tried pull shots that fell into the dead ground created by Smith's need to spread the field. Of course, it had to come to an end and at a moment when he could have been forgiven for pushing ones for his second century of the series he went from 89 to 95 with his fourth six - off Paul Adams' spin - and was bowled, attempting to repeat the stroke, off the next ball.

The crowd loved it and, in his turn, Flintoff responded to the wild cheering. He has learned to love the crowd in this series and to draw his inspiration from their enjoyment.

Michael Vaughan declared soon afterwards with England 604 for nine and the South Africans responded poorly to the pressure of finding themselves 120 behind. Herschelle Gibbs was caught behind at 24 and Smith was almost bowled by Bicknell, appeared to be lbw to Bicknell but given not out, almost trod on his stumps as he did at Trent Bridge and was finally lbw to Bicknell for 19. Never mind. He scored 980 at 81.66 in first class matches here; the best since Stephen Fleming topped 1,000 four years ago.

For all Flintoff's power and England's early breakthrough the game still had draw as a caption.

Ashley Giles made his first delivery bounce and turn out of the rough but the sheer skill of Kallis, not to mention the bulldog ruggedness of Gary Kirsten added 58 before Kirsten edged a slip catch to Marcus Trescothick who had dropped Gibbs off Bicknell shortly before he was out.

The pressure from one wicket produced another. Kallis played back and was beaten on to his pads by Harmison's pace. Umpire Venkat gave him out; rightly according to the electronics. Kallis will want to forget the shot which left South Africa 26 short of the England score with four down.

The rain had held off, stuck in the Western Approaches, and there was time for England to win. At tea South Africa was still 19 adrift and the force was certainly with the Flintoff-inspired England.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA — 1st innings: <232>484

ENGLAND — 1st innings:

M. Trescothick c Rudolph
b Ntini
219

M. Vaughan c Gibbs b Pollock 23

M. Butcher lbw b Hall 32

G. Thorpe b Kallis 124

E. Smith lbw b Hall 16

A. Stewart lbw b Pollock 38

A. Flintoff b Adams 95

A. Giles c Hall b Kallis 2

M. Bicknell lbw b Pollock 0

S. Harmison (not out) 6

J. Anderson (not out) 0

Extras (b-11, lb-18, w-9, nb-11) 49

— —

Total (for nine wkts. decl.) 604

— —

Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-78, 3-346, 4-379, 5-480, 6-489, 7-502, 8-502, 9-601.

SOUTH AFRICA BOWLING

O M R W

Pollock 39 10 111 3

Ntini 31 4 129 1

Hall 35 5 111 2

Kallis 34 5 117 2

Adams 17 2 79 1

Rudolph 6 1 28 0

SOUTH AFRICA — 2nd innings:

G. Smith lbw b Bicknell 19

H. Gibbs c Stewart b Anderson 9

G. Kirsten c Trescothick
b Harmison
29

J. Kallis lbw b Harmison 35

N. McKenzie lbw b Flintoff 38

J. Rudolph b Bicknell 8

M. Boucher (batting) 22

S. Pollock (batting) 19

Extras (b-1, lb-5) 6

— —

Total (for six wkts.) 185

— —