If Australia thought they were done dealing with an English cricketer named Flintoff, they better think again.
Rocky Flintoff, the son of English legend Andrew, blasted a sensational 108 off 127 balls for the England Lions against a Cricket Australia XI at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
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Flintoff Sr and watched on proudly but what made Jr’s ton all the more impressive was the fact he batted at ninth in the order.
Flintoff strode out to the crease when the Lions sat precariously at 7/161.
But the 16-year-old resurrected the visitors’ innings with his eye-catching ton, where he blasted nine fours and six sixes.
Such was Flintoff’s joy at reaching his ton, he removed his helmet before he’d even reached the other end of the wicket after playing a fine shot past gully.
He held his bat and helmet aloft with outstretched arms as he came back for a second run and kissed his bat upon saluting the crowd.
Australian cricket journalist Robert Craddock was in attendance for Flintoff’s milestone and made a frightening revelation about what’s to come.
“Dad Freddie watched from the sidelines with Graeme Swann who says we will be seeing Rocky for 20 years,” Craddock wrote on X.
“He bats, walks and talks like his dad. I know Sachin (Tendulkar) played Tests at 16 but this is rare air.”
Flintoff was the final wicket to fall in the 85th over after he was caught off a Gabe Bell delivery, helping the Lions to rack up a total of 316 in the first innings.
The visitors bowled first and restricted the Cricket Australia XI to just 214 as 19-year-old wicket-keeper Ryan Hicks top scored with 64.
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Flintoff was somewhat of a surprise inclusion in the Lions squad given he inked his first professional deal with Lancashire, the county his father played for, in June.
The contract arrived not long after he smacked a century for Lancashire’s 2nd XI last April and went on to make four first class appearances.
Flintoff also rewrote the history books last July when he became the youngest cricketer to register a ton for England’s Under-19s.
The teen sensation hit 106 (181) as his father watched on, eclipsing Ian Bell’s record when he smacked a century aged 16 years and 313 days against New Zealand in February 1999.
Although Flintoff has shown serious promise at such a young age, he has some way to go if he is to emulate the feats of his legendary dad.
‘Freddie’ Flintoff was regarded as one of the best all-rounders in white and red-ball cricket due to his exploits for England.
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In his 79 Tests for England, Flintoff tonked 3,845 runs at an average of 31.77, scoring five centuries along the way.
He also snared 226 wickets at 32.78, including three five-wicket hauls.
The 47-year-old was an explosive presence at the crease too as he sits behind only Ben Stokes and Kevin Pietersen in terms of the most sixes scored for England in Test cricket with a tally of 78.
Flintoff has since carved out a successful media career since his retirement from the sport but almost lost his life in a frightening car crash while filming an episode of Top Gear.