Flintoff century to no avail

Cricket/One-day: Andrew Flintoff's maiden one-day international century could not assuage the pain of yet another defeat for England when batting first.

"It's extremely disappointing. Personal achievement does not mean a great deal when you lose. I want to win cricket matches but it was a good toss for them to win and the wicket just got better as the day went on," he said after New Zealand's six-wicket victory.

Flintoff was prepared to concede that it was possibly his best one-day innings. "The one plus point to come out of it was the way I built the innings. Too many times in the past I have gone past 50 and then got out. There are still certain things I need to work on - like manoeuvring the ball into the gaps - but overall I am happy."

Flintoff, in concert with Andrew Strauss, had had to rebuild the early damage caused by a slump to 57 for three in the 17th over and showed commendable restraint in making his half-century off 80 balls. But thereafter the crowd were treated to his characteristically muscular strokeplay and it was fitting that his century was brought up with a drive in the direction of the Gilbert Jessop Stand. "The Croucher", a famous son of these parts renowned for his big hitting, would have approved mightily, as did the 15,000 West Country crowd who rose as one to acclaim the Lancastrian.

Flintoff had been dropped on nought, not a difficult chance to Hamish Marshall at backward point, who was experiencing how cruel a mistress cricket can be. Moments earlier he had dropped Strauss in the same position, with the Middlesex batsman on one. The day before he had been collecting a man-of-the-match award after his unbeaten 75 had secured victory over the West Indies. Now he was desperately hoping the ground would swallow him up.

Marshall once fielded for England in a Test match against South Africa at Lord's when he was on the MCC ground staff in 1998. Things improved for him here. His dapper 55 helped Stephen Fleming see the Kiwis towards victory before one last twist of fate saw him run out as Fleming attempted a suicidal single to reach his hundred.

Guardian Service