Surrey claimed the upper hand on the first day at the Kia Oval, despite a notable debut from Lancashire’s 16-year-old Rocky Flintoff, who scored 32 to become the youngest first-class cricketer for his county. However, the reigning champions, Surrey, swiftly took control of the match.
Lancashire, put in to bat, were bowled out for 204 in just under 59 overs, with no batsman reaching fifty. In response, Surrey reached 83 without loss before bad light halted play 15.4 overs early. Captain Rory Burns was unbeaten on 44, having driven George Balderson’s medium pace for consecutive fours, while Dom Sibley remained not out on 37.
Jordan Clark (4 for 57) and Dan Worrall (3 for 31) led Surrey’s five-pronged seam attack, with Conor McKerr and Sam Curran also contributing with wickets in their first County Championship appearances of the summer.
Matty Hurst’s 46 off 64 balls stood out as Lancashire’s most assertive effort, supported by Balderson’s 33 and Josh Bohannon’s 26, in conditions that favoured seam bowling.
However, much of the attention was on Flintoff, who recently became Lancashire’s youngest player in any format after scoring 167 runs in seven Metro Bank One-Day Cup innings. He entered the fray at 33 for 2 in the 11th over, after both Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings fell to the new ball.
Wells was dismissed in the fourth over for 9, dragging a drive onto his stumps off Clark, while Jennings, looking unhappy with the decision, was given out lbw for 12 to an inswinger from Worrall.
Flintoff got off the mark on his first ball, confidently clipping Worrall for two off his pads. On a day when most 16-year-olds were focused on their GCSE results, Flintoff showcased his talent, mirroring his father, Andrew Flintoff, in both build and mannerisms. The former England captain watched proudly from a hospitality box as his son navigated Worrall’s challenging opening spell and added 40 runs with Bohannon for Lancashire’s third wicket.
Flintoff had some fortunate moments, including being dropped at third slip on 13 and edging Worrall just over the cordon for four as lunch approached. Despite these close calls, he looked composed at the crease, helping Lancashire reach 98 for 3 by lunch.
Unfortunately, Bohannon was dismissed just before the break, chopping on to McKerr for 26. Flintoff, resuming after lunch, sliced a drive on the first ball from Clark, leading to a brilliant catch by Sai Sudharsan at backward point, ending his promising innings at 32.
Hurst played some excellent shots but was dropped by Clark on 45, only to be caught magnificently by McKerr at leg slip in Curran’s next over. From 155 for 4, Lancashire’s innings quickly unravelled as Worrall, McKerr, and Clark ran through the tail.
Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, making his Championship debut, managed one memorable cover drive before misjudging a shot off Worrall, resulting in an edge behind. Balderson, playing defensively, also nicked Worrall to first slip.
McKerr’s pace and bounce accounted for Tom Hartley, who caught behind for 5. Only some resistance from Tom Aspinwall, who hooked McKerr for six and drove him for four in a spirited 23 not out, took Lancashire past 200. However, the innings concluded with Josh Boyden lifting a simple catch to mid-off for 5, followed by Will Williams being caught behind off consecutive deliveries from Clark.