Flintoff a top 10 hit

4 September 2008

Andrew Flintoff celebrates one of his 10 wickets in a successful NatWest Series

Andrew Flintoff’s successful return to the England side has seen him climb into the top 10 of the International Cricket Council one-day bowling rankings.

Flintoff made his return to the England fold after a 16-month absence when he was recalled to the squad for the second Test against South Africa at Headingley Carnegie.

He went on to star in the one-day leg of the tour, helping England win the NatWest Series 4-0.

He took the most wickets in the series (10) at the lowest average (12.90), his economy rate was the most prudent at 4.20 per over and he boasted the best strike-rate (18.40) of anyone who bowled more than five overs in the series.

Flintoff also starred with the bat - he scored 187 runs in three innings, two of which were undefeated - but his exploits with the ball lifted him five places to eighth in the bowling rankings.

He still remains the best-rated all-rounder in the world ahead of Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik and New Zealand’s Jacob Oram.

In the one-day rankings, England remain level with New Zealand on 116 points in third place despite yesterday’s abandoned clash at the SWALEC Stadium.

Captain Kevin Pietersen, who is seventh, is the only England batsman in the batting top 20, while Stuart Broad, who sits fifth, accompanies Flintoff in the top 10 of the bowling rankings.

Andre Nel’s poor performance with the ball has seen him slip to 13th, and Makhaya Ntini has dropped out of the top 20.