Flintoff’s ready to rumble!

1:33pm Thursday 24th April 2008

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ANDREW Flintoff is "ready to go" for the first Test against New Zealand and is already bowling at his optimum.

The informed report comes from a highly-qualified source, Flintoff's former England team-mate Marcus Trescothick - who was today given the hurry-up more than once by his old pal at Old Trafford.

Somerset opener Trescothick finished day one of the LV County Championship Division One match with 77 out of his team's 238 all out - before watching the hosts reach 60 without loss in reply.

He was satisfied with his own form - despite needing his share of luck with dropped catches - but as far as the England selectors are concerned, Trescothick's most telling update was on Flintoff.

"He's ready to go," the former England opener said of the lynchpin all-rounder, who is playing only his second first-class match after a fourth bout of surgery on his left ankle last autumn.

"That's as good as he'll bowl - I don't think he'll get into a Test match against New Zealand in a couple of weeks' time and bowl any differently.

"Bowling-wise, he's ready."

Flintoff did enough, in the first of two eight-over spells, to give Trescothick plenty to think about - although it was in his second stint shortly before tea that he returned to take his two wickets.

"It was tough. He bowled really well today - very consistent pace," added Trescothick, whose runs were augmented for the visitors by a second half-century from Ian Blackwell (64).

"It was normal Freddie' - you never would have know he would have had much of a lay-off."

As for his own form, there was much to please Trescothick - who confirmed his international retirement just last month after a long battle with a stress-related illness.

The Lancashire seam contingent comprised Flintoff and fellow England bowlers Jimmy Anderson, Glen Chapple and Sajid Mahmood - the latter faring the best statistically with three for 54.

"You probably won't see a better (championship) attack all season than those four, and it was a real challenge," Trescothick said. "They were Test match conditions out there for a quite a long time.

"If you can get runs against these guys, you can pick up runs against most people."