Rocky Flintoff, the 18-year-old son of England legend Andrew, has made his first century for Lancashire – from just 65 balls.
Batting No 5 against Somerset in the MetroBank One-Day Cup at Taunton, Flintoff smashed 123 from 76 balls, including 10 fours and seven sixes, to power Lancashire to their record List-A score, 443 for six.
It helped Lancashire to a 174-run win that sent them into a quarter-final against Durham – and Ben Stokes – on Friday. Lancashire failed to qualify for the knockouts of the Vitality Blast and are second-bottom of Division Two after eight of 14 County Championship matches, so the performances of youngsters like Flintoff in the One-Day Cup has been most encouraging.
At 18 years and 126 days old, Flintoff is Lancashire’s youngest ever first-team centurion, breaking a 136-year-old record set by Archie MacLaren at Hove in 1890. MacLaren was 18 years and 256 days old, and made 106.
Lancashire opener Keaton Jennings made a brilliant century of his own at Taunton, scoring 156 from 127 balls. The pair put on a stand of 214, and veteran Jennings was full of praise for his young partner.
“It was a memorable day for Rocky Flintoff,” Jennings said. “When you are developing a few grey hairs, it’s great to be out there batting with a young player of such talent.
“Rocky knows his family can’t score his runs for him. He has to go out there and do it himself and there is every sign he is going to do just that.
“He has a fantastic physique for a cricketer and a good head on young shoulders. Today he used his feet well and played a fantastic knock.”
Flintoff emerged as a 16-year-old, catching the eye because of the eerie similarities in his batting technique to his father, the legendary all-rounder who was a hero of the 2005 Ashes triumph. Since, he has struggled with injury, and is making his way as a batsman despite being a promising bowler, too.
Flintoff Jnr has scored a handful of hundreds for England U19s as well as one for the Lions, coached by his father, against a Cricket Australia XI at the start of 2025. But this was his first ton for Lancashire and in senior cricket, and a genuine statement showing in which he thrashed short balls into the stands at Taunton almost at will. He also twice eased pace bowlers down the ground for six.
Eventually, he was caught in the deep on the off side off the experienced quick Migael Pretorius. The catch was taken by Archie Vaughan, the Somerset spin-bowling all-rounder who is the son of Michael, the Telegraph Sport columnist who captained Andrew in the 2005 Ashes.
Somerset never looked like chasing the target, with Lancashire’s Tom Aspinwall and George Balderson picking up four wickets apiece.
Flintoff Snr suddenly stepped down from his role as Lions head coach last week, but is still coaching, with Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. Rocky’s older brother Corey is also a professional cricketer, on the staff at Kent.
Lancashire had announced earlier in the day that Richard Kenyon, the Nottinghamshire chief executive, would join the county as their CEO, replacing the outgoing Daniel Gidney at the end of this year. Kenyon had been with Notts for less than a year.
Notts beat Surrey to qualify for the knockouts, setting up a tie against Yorkshire on Friday. Leicestershire and Middlesex topped the two groups, and head straight for the semi-finals, which take place on Sunday. The final is at Trent Bridge on September 20.