In this week's Hogg Blog, Matthew Hoggard talks about Freddie Flintoff's comeback, silencing the doubters and...Elton John.
Andrew Flintoff hadn’t played first-class cricket in five years when he made his comeback for Lancashire Lightning last week at New Road. Normally you’d be forgiven for feeling a bit nervous returning to the county scene after such a long time, knowing that the whole world and all the media were going to be watching.
However, as we all know, “normally” isn’t a word you could often use about Freddie.
He was never really the type to get nervous. In the dressing room during the 2005 Ashes series whenever he was about to go into the action he’d put Rocket Man by Elton John on the stereo and crank it up.
You were about to bowl to Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden - knowing that if you got rid of them you had Ponting, Clarke and Gilchrist to follow - and you’d hear “Rocket Maaaannn!” being belted out at the top of his voice, which was his way of dealing with the tension.
To be fair he could have picked a lot of far worse songs and that was how he was, it was his whole-hearted approach to playing the game and everything he did. He was never a shrinking violet and always the life and soul of the team.
Off the field I’d have to plead the fifth if I was asked what my favourite memories of him were, but you‘ll all have seen the pictures of him wearing his shades on the open top bus. We certainly kept the bar staff busy that night!
On the field he was always a catalyst for something to happen, such as his run-out of Ricky Ponting at the Kia Oval in 2009, just when it looked like the game was drifting away from England. In that summer of 2005 you could pick out four or five performances from him that were absolutely outstanding.
There have been a few raised eyebrows about Freddie's comeback. A few doubters have questioned whether he'll withstand the rigours of professional cricket once again.
But I'm not one of them. Despite the length of time he spent out of the game, I believe he'll be able to cope, because he’s only going to be bowling for four overs.
Remember, these won’t be the first 24 balls he’s bowled since retiring. He’s played for Lancashire’s second team and he’ll have done a lot of work in the nets.
Now you can’t replicate the demands of a match in the nets because you’ll always try that little bit harder when you’re out in the middle and that puts your body under greater strain, but it’s not going to be the 24 balls that do for him, it’ll be whether or not his knees and ankles hold up afterwards.
On Sunday, I thought he looked in great shape. All that boxing training has got him in top condition. He nearly got a wicket from his first ball, but the over went for 15. Gone are the days when you could play the ball based on the bowler’s reputation and even the best bowlers in the world go for big runs now.
That might have bothered other players but it clearly didn’t worry Freddie, as he came back and bowled Tom Kohler-Cadmore in the next and then removed Alexei Kervezee as well. To finish with figures of 2-36 on that pitch, which by all accounts was an absolute road, was a quality performance.
All cricketers say the team’s performance is more important than how they’ve done individually, but it’s true. As cricketers we all want each other to do well as a collective and to spur each other on.
So he’ll have been delighted Lancashire won so well against Worcestershire, especially as the Rapids were top of the division for so long.
Having Freddie in the team, and performing well, will give the Lightning a real boost as we enter the business end of the T20 Blast. Who knows? We might well see the big lad at Edgbaston. And I couldn't be happier for him.
Hoggy's Top Three:
My top performers of last week are:
1. Steven Mullaney (Nottinghamshire Outlaws). He dropped a dolly then a couple of balls later produces a worldy of an overhead catch as the Outlaws beat the Birmingham Bears. To score 36 with the bat and take 2-27 is a decent night's work in my book.
2. Wes Durston (Derbyshire Falcons). There's not been much for the Falcons to cheer this season but Wes whacked 89 off 63 balls for Derbyshire versus Leicestershire Foxes. It didn't win the game but it was great entertainment.
3. Anthony Ireland (Leicestershire Foxes). He took 5-22 in the same game to help the Foxes to a five-wicket win. We know that T20 cricket is set up for the batsmen, so those are truly outstanding figures.