da premier bet： On a day when England needed to be firing on all cylinders to preventAustralia taking control of the fifth and final Test, Andrew Flintoff’scontribution with the ball was a cause of concern
Andrew Miller at Sydney03-Jan-2007
Andrew Flintoff only sent down six overs on the second day at Sydney © Getty Images
On a day when England needed to be firing on all cylinders to preventAustralia taking control of the fifth and final Test, Andrew Flintoff’scontribution with the ball was a cause of concern. Despite taking the newball, he bowled just six overs in the day in two three-over spells – one ofwhich was interrupted by lunch – to raise further fears about histroublesome left ankle.England nevertheless insisted that all was well. “His ankle is fine,” saidEngland’s leading bowler of the day, Steve Harmison, whose sentiments weresimultaneously expressed by the England press officer sat beside him. “Itwas just that myself and Jimmy were bowling well and the rain break came ata good time for us.”Even so, Flintoff’s absence from the front line of the attack was apuzzlement – especially on a day when England were lacking the services oftheir most consistent performer of the tour, Matthew Hoggard, who failed afitness test before the start of the match.”When you lose your best bowler of the series it’s up to the other bowlersto step up a little bit and hopefully that’s what we’ve tried to do,” addedHarmison. “Jimmy bowled well. Monty bowled well and I felt I got better asthe day wore on. It’s nicely poised, and it’s a good time to have a breakand recharge the batteries and come back tomorrow.”Glenn McGrath is another man who knows about bowling through the pain of asore ankle, having undergone similar surgery to remove a bone spur inOctober 2003 . “I’m not sure how Freddie’s going at the moment,” he said. “Iknow I felt great until I snapped one of the other spurs off.”But bowling’s a funny thing, and it’s amazing how much pain you can bowlwith. It’s only in between the overs that you really feel it. I’m sureFreddie will keep going, and keep hitting the deck.”It was a day of disappointments for Flintoff, after earlier falling short ofhis second century against Australia. “He was batting well and we’re alldisappointed for him,” said Harmison. “Australia bowled in good areas anddidn’t give us much to hit, and they tried to starve him of the strike asmuch as they possibly could. Perhaps we [the tail] could have got a few moreand helped Andrew get us up to 300 or nearer 350.As to Flintoff’s general morale, as a gruelling series draws to a close,Harmison said: “I don’t think he’s taken it any more personally than therest of us do. We’re all disappointed, despondent and devastated. At the endof the last Test that dressing-room was horrendous, it was not a very niceplace to be. But you have to put a brave face on and you have to show a bitof fight. I think Fred took it on the chin a bit more than anyone else ascaptain. But he’s trying his best and we’re all trying to win this Testmatch for England.”Subject to fitness, Michael Vaughan is waiting in the wings to take over forthe one-day series, but Harmison was adamant that his friend was not keen tohand over the reigns. “I think Fred will be very disappointed if he’s notcaptain for the one-dayers, if that’s what happens.”He just loves captaining England. There is no better job in AndrewFlintoff’s eyes than being captain of England, but if that happens ithappens. I’m sure he’ll fall into line – as he would if Andrew Strauss hadbeen named captain for this series.”