FILE PHOTO: Cricket - First T20 International - England Practice Session - Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, Britain - May 21, 2024 England coach Andrew Flintoff during the practice session Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith/File Photo
(Reuters) - Rocky Flintoff, the 16-year-old son of former England all-rounder Andrew, became the youngest player to hit a century for the England Under-19 side during a test match with Sri Lanka on Thursday.
Flintoff was unbeaten on 82 overnight after Sri Lanka posted 153 in the first innings and he brought up his century in the first session at the College Ground in Cheltenham.
The middle order batter was dismissed soon after for 106 in a knock that included nine boundaries and two sixes. Captain Hamza Shaikh also brought up a century (107) as England were dismissed for 477.
Flintoff's stock has been on the rise in recent months after he became the third-youngest player to score a century in the Second Eleven Championship in April, breaking his father's record for Lancashire that stood for 30 years.
The 16-year-old signed his first professional contract with the county last month while he also played for the England Under-19 one-day international side in a three-match series against Sri Lanka.
His father Andrew was one of cricket's greatest all-rounders with over 7,000 runs and nearly 400 wickets across tests and ODIs.
He was England's hero in the 2005 Ashes test series at home against Australia where his 402 runs and 24 wickets helped his side win a closely-fought series 2-1.
That team was captained by Michael Vaughan, whose 18-year-old son Archie Vaughan is also playing alongside Flintoff in the test against Sri Lanka.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
