Flintoff winning fitness battle

Andrew Flintoff looked good in the field as his Lancashire side forced Hampshire to just 248-9 in their LV County Championship match.

Flintoff was overshadowed by team-mates Glen Chapple and Sajid Mahmood on the first morning of their match, but his performance in the field should be enough to earn him an England recall for the second Test against South Africa.

The iconic all-rounder is a certainty in Peter Moores' first-choice XI when fit and after bowling 14 overs for a return of one for 29, as well as picking up two catches at the Rose Bowl, he seems to be well on the way.

Chapple's three for 33 was the performance of the day, though, as he kicked off a troublesome day for the batsmen by removing Michael Carberry before a run had been scored.

Mahmood was pricier but still claimed two for 51 as only Nic Pothas (62) and Michael Brown (49) really got to grips with conditions.

At Canterbury, Jacques Rudolph and Anthony McGrath both hit centuries against Kent to help focus Yorkshire's minds on on-field matters, following the news that they are to appeal their expulsion from the Twenty20 Cup.

The pair shared a stand of 217, the latter eventually out for a 226-ball 144 which included 16 fours and a pair of maximums.

Rudolph was unbeaten on 121 at stumps as he watched Yasir Arafat pick up two late wickets to make it 359 for five.

Leaders Nottinghamshire claimed two early wickets against strugglers Surrey but were denied any further progress by the rain, with just 30 overs possible at Trent Bridge.

Darren Pattinson was against the home side's danger man with the ball, removing Stewart Walters for a duck before returning to have Scott Newman (18) caught behind by skipper Chris Read.

That left Surrey teetering on 25 for two but Mark Ramprakash and Jon Batty (both 19 not out) came together to ensure there were no further dismissals, despite further interference from the rain.

They will resume on 59 for two, with Ramprakash desperately seeking the runs which would bring up his 100th first-class hundred.

No play was possible in the match between Durham and Somerset at the Riverside.

In Division Two, Glamorgan's match with Essex was also a washout, while just 4.2 overs were possible on the second day between Worcestershire and Northamptonshire at New Road.

No wickets fell, but 19 runs were added by the visitors, who went to stumps on 153 for six - a first-innings lead of seven.

Fans at Derby saw 30.1 overs, which visiting Leicestershire just about edged with the late wicket of Chris Rogers for 52.

His dismissal left Derbyshire on 113 for three, with West Indian batsman Wavell Hinds bearing much of the burden when he resumes on 33.

The first two sessions at Bristol yielded no play at all but the players eventually got out at 4pm, with Gloucestershire striking early to reduce Middlesex to a disappointing 73 for four.

Former England seamer Jon Lewis took two for 12 to start the rot, with Steve Kirby collecting the wicket of Twenty20 hero Dawid Malan and Anthony Ireland weighing in with the vital scalp of Owais Shah for 15.