Runs in the family! Andrew Flintoff’s son Rocky, 16, hits superb century for England’s Under-19s against Sri Lanka – and marks his first Test ton with a fist-pump celebration
- Rocky Flintoff becomes the youngest player ever to score a goal for England U19s
- The high-performing teenager converted his 82 from the previous day into three figures from 176 balls
- He will be keen to follow in the footsteps of his father, who played 79 England Tests
Andrew Flintoff’s 16-year-old son Rocky hit a superb century for England Under-19s on the third day of their second unofficial Test match against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
The teenager turned his 82 the previous day into a three-figure score from 176 balls, before being dismissed five balls later for 106.
Images of Rocky celebrating his maiden Test century were shared on social media on Thursday afternoon.
After hitting the ball through the covers on 99, Rocky sprinted to the non-striker’s side to score the vital single, before jumping into the air and raising his fist in celebration.
Rocky’s impressive innings against Sri Lanka’s U19s came after England captain Hamza Shaikh bowled 107 balls, while Jaydn Denly, the nephew of former England batsman Joe, led the way with 91 from just 120 balls.
Andrew Flintoff’s 16-year-old son Rocky (above) hit a superb century for the England Under-19 team
The in-form England teenager fired a well-placed forward shot from the offside position on 99
He scored a single to become the youngest player to hit a full run for England U19
England were all out for 477 just before lunch and had a first innings lead of 324, after Sri Lanka were beaten for 153 in a series that was level after a draw in the first Test at Wormsley.
Archie Vaughan, son of former England captain Michael, and Farhan Ahmed, brother of England international Rehan, are also playing for the Under-19s at Cheltenham this week.
Rocky signed his first professional contract with Lancashire last month after earning a lot of money for the second team, scoring 106 points and helping England Under-19s beat the Young Lions Invitational XI in Loughborough.
At 16, Rocky became the youngest player to score a century for England U19s.
He is keen to follow in his father’s footsteps as Andrew has played 79 Tests, 141 One-Day Internationals and seven T20s during his illustrious career.
Rocky celebrated the century in style at Cheltenham, pumping his fists in the air in celebration
Rocky (left) follows in the footsteps of his famous father, England Ashes hero Andrew (right)
Andrew, who was recently part of the England limited overs coaching team (above), was involved in a near-fatal crash while filming for the popular television show Top Gear in 2022
The all-rounder, who played for England from 1999 to 2009, was indispensable during the historic Ashes match between England and Australia in 2005.
After retiring from cricket, Andrew became a TV personality and presenter. In 2019, he hosted Top Gear alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.
While filming for the BBC programme in December 2022, the former cricketer was involved in a near-fatal accident, leaving him with a number of serious facial injuries.
Since the incident, Andrew, who admitted he was ‘lucky to be alive’, has been part of England’s limited-overs coaching team.