Flintoff recalled after test ends in draw

By John Mehaffey

LONDON (Reuters) - All-rounder Andrew Flintoff was recalled to the national team on Monday after England took only three South African wickets on the last two days of the first test at Lord's.

England dominated the first three days with bat and then ball before the tenacious South Africans regrouped to force a draw. Their top three batsmen, captain Graeme Smith, Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla, each scored centuries on a pitch which became steadily slower.

Former captain Flintoff, 30, who has not played test cricket since January last year, is the only the change to an England 12 named shortly after a sixth successive test draw at the game's world headquarters.

Before the match South Africa coach Mickey Arthur suggested the England attack was missing a true express bowler and Flintoff looks certain to play in the second test starting at Headingley in Leeds on Friday. Pace bowler Chris Tremlett, the 12th man at Lord's after England named the same team for the sixth test in a row, has been omitted.

A fourth operation on Flintoff's chronically injured left ankle has been successful and his current form with the ball for his county Lancashire shows he has made a full recovery from a side strain which sidelined him temporarily.

BROAD VULNERABLE

"I have always had it in the back of my mind to get Freddie back in the team," England captain Michael Vaughan told a news conference.

"He has had that 18 months out of the game. He's not a wizard, he's not going to come and sprinkle dust.