Flintoff eyes summer return after injury lay-off

If the Ashes-winning all-rounder did not believe that, he would not even continue to try to make another comeback in a famous career which has been interrupted so often by injury lay-offs.

It is an arduous road already trodden several times by the 32-year-old, who is still hoping to be back in the middle by late-July or August following two operations on his left knee since helping England clinch the Ashes at The Oval in the last of his 79 Tests almost eight months ago.

Flintoff joined the rest of the Lancashire playing staff at Old Trafford, but will be back in Dubai by the end of this week until the medical experts give him the all-clear to step up his bid for match fitness.

His Middle East home appears to be a help as he continues his recovery, several thousand miles away from the inevitable conjecture over whether he will play again at all

"Where I'm living at the moment, I'm blissfully unaware of what people are saying," he said. "The one thing I'm trying to get fit for is to play cricket. That's something I'm desperately trying to do.

"However, I've always said that while I feel I can play I will do – if I feel I can play as well as I did before I was injured then I'll carry on.

"That's still the case. I still think I can come back and perform for Lancashire, at the highest level as well. I just have to do it.

"I'm confident of doing that. There's a lot of things I can improve on as a cricketer."

Ryan ten Doeschate proved the hero as Essex pulled off a thrilling LV= County Championship Division One victory by 62 runs against Hampshire at Chelmsford yesterday.

After scoring an unbeaten half-century, Ten Doeschate returned figures of 5-13 from 5.5 overs with his medium-pacers as Hampshire were bowled out for 185 after facing a target of 248 in 48 overs.

Victory was achieved with the fifth delivery of the final over as David Masters took a fine catch at leg slip to get rid of David Griffiths, providing Ten Doeschate with his final success.

In Division Two, Derbyshire wrapped up their first Championship win at The Oval since 1966 beating Surrey by 208 runs.

Derbyshire were inspired by a total of 340 runs from Australian captain Chris Rogers.