Andrew Flintoff’s son Rocky sets record as youngest centurion for England Under-19s

Rocky Flintoff delivered a record-breaking performance as England maintained control on day three of the second Youth Men's Test against Sri Lanka at Cheltenham. With his father, former England all-rounder Andrew, looking on, the 16-year-old Flintoff became the youngest player to score a century for England Under-19s. His impressive knock of 106 helped the Young Lions amass 477, establishing a commanding first-innings lead of 324 runs.

Flintoff, who recently signed his first professional contract with Lancashire, faced 181 balls and struck nine fours and two sixes. His 78-run partnership with Jack Carney for the sixth wicket played a crucial role in pushing England's total well beyond Sri Lanka's first-innings score of 153.

Despite a stronger effort from the Sri Lankan batsmen in their second innings, they still face a difficult task to avoid defeat, ending the day at 246 for 7, still 78 runs behind. Mahith Perera and Dinuru Kalupahana contributed significantly with 61 and 40, respectively, adding 88 runs for the fifth wicket. However, England's bowlers, including Harry Moore and Farhan Ahmed who both took 2 for 41, maintained their dominance.

England's strategy at the start of the day focused on accelerating the scoring rate to apply pressure on Sri Lanka, achieving 76 runs in 22 overs during the morning session. Carney was run out by Thisara Ekanayake after contributing 29 runs in a crucial 78-run partnership with Flintoff.

Flintoff reached his century off 178 balls with a quick single off Chanthuka, celebrating with enthusiasm as the Festival audience applauded. His innings, while showing glimpses of his exceptional talent, was marked by patience and a focus on team needs rather than personal flair.

Flintoff's innings ended when he was dismissed for 106 by Praveen Maneesha, with England's lead exceeding 300 runs. Moore added 24 runs before being dismissed, and Thewmika and Maneesha claimed the final wickets to conclude England's innings. Sri Lanka's bowlers, Thewmika and Maneesha, took 3 for 82 and 3 for 112, respectively, as they worked hard to limit the damage.

In the second innings, England's bowlers struggled with the flatter pitch but still made significant inroads. Moore, the 17-year-old Derbyshire prospect, took key wickets, including Pulindu Perera and Sharujan Shanmuganathan. Naavya Sharma also contributed by dismissing first-innings hero Gayana Weerasinghe.

As Sri Lanka reached 104 for 3, England turned to spin in the final session. Ekanayake was dismissed for 39, and despite a resilient stand of 88 runs between Perera and Kalupahana, Sri Lanka faced increasing pressure. Perera made a noteworthy 50 off 57 balls before being dismissed, and Kalupahana fell just short of his half-century. With further wickets falling, Sri Lanka ended the day at 236 for 7, still in a challenging position.