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Flintoff strikes form with bat for England
Andrew Flintoff scored an unbeaten 100 to help England beat Mumbai XI by 122 runs on Sunday in an unofficial tour match.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: November 09, 2008 01:06 PM IST
Read Time:2 min
Mumbai:
England compiled 297 for four wickets in 50 overs and then restricted Mumbai to 175-8.
Flintoff hit three sixes and 12 boundaries off 85 deliveries and shared a 133-run fourth-wicket partnership with Owais Shah, who anchored the innings with a solid 83 off 99 balls.
This was the first century for Flintoff in any form of the game since he made 102 in 2005 in the fourth test against Australia at Trent Bridge.
"I've been working hard on my batting and it's nice when it comes together," Flintoff said. "We'll obviously play against better teams on this tour, but a hundred's a hundred.
"I've not scored one for ages so I'll take it."
Flintoff said he expected tougher matches to come.
"I'm not daft and I know it's a starting point. Today was fine but it's not always going to be like that," he said.
England will play another warmup game Tuesday in Mumbai before moving to the western town of Rajkot for the first one-day international against India on Friday.
The seven one-day matches will be followed by two tests.
"It'll be nice to perform out here, especially with the bat and have a good Christmas at the end of it," said Flintoff, who reached 100 with a six off leg-spinner Dinesh Salunkhe.
Flintoff was dropped twice _ on seven and 25, while Shah's innings contained six boundaries and a six.
Opener Ian Bell also took the chance for some useful batting practice with a 62-ball 58, but Matt Prior (13) and skipper Kevin Pietersen (six) faltered in the first warmup game.
Paceman James Andersen enhanced his claim for inclusion in the one-day attack by snaring 3-15 for England, which used eight bowlers.
Left-arm spinner Samit Patel at 2-38 was the other England bowler to impress, while Abhijit Shetye hit 50 for Mumbai.
Andrew Flintoff scored an unbeaten 100 to help England beat Mumbai XI by 122 runs on Sunday in an unofficial tour match.England compiled 297 for four wickets in 50 overs and then restricted Mumbai to 175-8.
Flintoff hit three sixes and 12 boundaries off 85 deliveries and shared a 133-run fourth-wicket partnership with Owais Shah, who anchored the innings with a solid 83 off 99 balls.
This was the first century for Flintoff in any form of the game since he made 102 in 2005 in the fourth test against Australia at Trent Bridge.
"I've been working hard on my batting and it's nice when it comes together," Flintoff said. "We'll obviously play against better teams on this tour, but a hundred's a hundred.
"I've not scored one for ages so I'll take it."
Flintoff said he expected tougher matches to come.
"I'm not daft and I know it's a starting point. Today was fine but it's not always going to be like that," he said.
England will play another warmup game Tuesday in Mumbai before moving to the western town of Rajkot for the first one-day international against India on Friday.
The seven one-day matches will be followed by two tests.
"It'll be nice to perform out here, especially with the bat and have a good Christmas at the end of it," said Flintoff, who reached 100 with a six off leg-spinner Dinesh Salunkhe.
Flintoff was dropped twice _ on seven and 25, while Shah's innings contained six boundaries and a six.
Opener Ian Bell also took the chance for some useful batting practice with a 62-ball 58, but Matt Prior (13) and skipper Kevin Pietersen (six) faltered in the first warmup game.
Paceman James Andersen enhanced his claim for inclusion in the one-day attack by snaring 3-15 for England, which used eight bowlers.
Left-arm spinner Samit Patel at 2-38 was the other England bowler to impress, while Abhijit Shetye hit 50 for Mumbai.
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