In an exciting moment for the next generation of English cricket, Freddie Flintoff’s son Rocky surpassed his first half-century for the local club this week.
Rocky, still just 16 years old, only made his senior debut on 28 July to become Lancashire‘s youngest-ever first-team cricketer and now, less than a fortnight later, he has already hit well over a half-century.
In truth, he was closer to making it a full century, topping out at nearly 90 and the milestone has already done more than enough to get cricket fans all over the country excited.
Lancashire did ultimately go on to lose to Middlesex by five wickets in what was their sixth One-Day Cup group defeat, but the son of the county and national team legend was the real story.
Rocky Flintoff 88 (115)
Flintoff, 16, has his first half-century for Lancashire.
Reacting online, social media was awash with pure hype over the teenager and understandably so, with The Cricketer simply sharing the video along with the caption: “just 16 years of age…”
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One fan wrote, “This Rocky Flintoff is only 16 and my word he is a joy to watch. So excited to watch his future unfold”, while another added, “Looks one hell of a player, lovely to see.”
The youngster reached his maiden half-century on his Emirates Old Trafford after 77 balls, smacking a quadruple of fours and a six on his way there.
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He exited with his final tally of 88 from 115 and has already impressed with his batting record throughout the youth ranks and under 19s in particular earlier this year.
Naturally, people have been drawing similarities between Rocky and Flintoff senior, with plenty already having done so prior to this week.
2005 x 2024
Andrew Flintoff and his 16-year-old son, Rocky, share a near identical batting technique 🤯
As alluded to, Rocky Flintoff had already hit two full centuries prior to turning pro: one for England U19s in a youth Test against Sri Lanka and another for Lancashire’s second XI.
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He could have made it a full 100 this time too had he two sixes from the final two balls of the innings but was ultimately caught out by Josh de Caires – who, as it happens, is also the son of another former Lancs and England captain, Michael Atherton.
Nevertheless, Rocky Flintoff is already looking like one to watch and if he turns out to be even half the player his father was then the future of the national team is seemingly in very good hands.
Meanwhile, dad Freddie has spoken out about the “anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks” he has suffered following his crash on the set of Top Gear in December 2022 as part of a new BBC programme.
Tommy Fury announces return to boxing after his ‘hardest battle’ yet
Danny Jones
Manc boxer Tommy Fury has announced his return to the ring later this year, although he’s still keeping tight-lipped about some of the finer detailsabout his next fight.
Tommy Fury has been stuck on the sidelines for the best part of the last two years following his last boxing match against influencer and musician KSI, having reluctantly stepped away from boxing through injury and well-publicised personal issues outside of the sport.
He ultimately pulled out of his intended comeback against Darren Till ahead of what looked to be an already fraught face-off, and his been quiet on the competitive front ever since – until now.
Revealing a scheduled date for the next fight, the 25-year-old took to social media to confirm that he will be back very soon but is withholding some of the particulars for now.
Writing in the caption, the younger Fury brother said: “Two years out. One surgery. The hardest battle I’ve faced has been the mental battle of being away from boxing. But I’m back stronger, sharper, and more HUNGARY than ever.”
However, the most notable omission is who he will actually be taking on, i.e. one of the main reasons fight fans would be interested in the first place.
Although many have been left frustrated by the infrequency of his fights due to multiple cancellations, it’s clearly a concerted effort to build anticipation ahead of the event.
Sharing the date for his Budapest bout – which is coming much sooner than many would have expected (Friday, 9 May) – he signed off by adding: “It’s showtime. Let’s go!”
Besides the social media post, the local fighter published a lengthy announcement video/teaser trailer on the official Tommy Fury YouTube channel on Monday night, in which he states, “the contract has literally just been signed as we speak”.
You can watch the feature in full down below:
In truth, the majority of the video is about brand deals, but it does show getting some training done.
Hyping up his undefeated record, with 10 wins to his name thus far in his still fairly fledgling boxing career, he goes on to say he is “over the moon” and ready to get back in business.
Only time will tell whether this fight will actually go ahead as his followers have gotten more than used to seeing his matches postponed or cancelled. First and foremost, who do you think his comeback opponent is gong to be?
His name has mostly been in the headlines due to his high-profile relationship with fellow famous face Molly Mae-Hague.
The couple, who first met on Love Island back in 2019, welcomed their first child, Bambi, back in January 2023 but went on to split up last August. A docuseries covering their struggles dropped at the start of this year.
Featured Images — Screenshot (via YouTube)/Ghazi Twaissi (via WikiCommons)/The Manc Group
Sport
Belle Vue manager warns of former Aces ahead of Premiership clash
Danny Jones
Belle Vue Aces boss and Aussie speedway legend Mark Lemon has warned his side of Oxford Spires’ quality ahead of their face-off in the Premiership, especially as they prepare to come against some ex-ATPI employees.
With a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership round coming up on Monday night (14 April) and the Aces second in the table with five early points total on the board already, the CEO, Director and Team Manager isn’t underestimating the southern opponents.
Even though Oxford have had a tough start to the season, the Manchester racers can’t afford to be complacent, and Lemon has already identified some key threats on the track, including two former Aces.
It’ll be a thrilling night at the National Speedway Stadium (NSS), as always.
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼…
♣️ ATPI Aces v Oxford Spires ⛪️ 🗓️ Monday, April 14, 7.30pm. 🏆 Premiership R1. 🏟️ National Speedway Stadium. 🎟️ Get ticket now: https://t.co/DREWNjxB09 🍴 Hospitality: https://t.co/RFS3gcPD99
Speaking on Sunday ahead of the races, the 52-year-old said: “I know it’s a cliche, but there really aren’t any easy meetings in the Premiership.
“We know what Oxford’s riders are capable of; Rohan [Tungate] and Charles [Wright] can be very good at the National Speedway Stadium, and that makes them dangerous.
“When you add in the likes of [Maciej] Janowski, Erik Riss and guest Dan Thompson, [Oxford Spires] are a strong side.”
33-year-old ‘Magic’ Janoswki from Poland is not only a former world number three but has four FIM Speedway World Cup gold medals to his name.
Nevertheless, the Aces have bounced back after a disappointing 50-40 defeat in the KO Cup by Ipswich Witches to record a double over King’s Lynn Stars, with a narrow loss against Leicester still showing plenty of fight and promise for the rest of the campaign.
Belle Vue Aces’ Jaimon Lidsey pushing hard against King’s Lynn – here’s hoping for more of that against Oxford. (Credit: Taylor Lanning)
Lemon went on to assure that he remains confident, however, adding: “We’re settling back into a routine. It was good that all the boys are getting confidence-building scores.
“Zach Cook, Norick Blodorn and Jake Mulford have all started winning key races and scoring well. Tate Zischke is also solving some bike issues.
“As I’ve said before, at this time of the season, it’s about building momentum. That’s the target.”
The Aces get underway against the Spires at the NSS just down the road in Gorton from 7:30pm – best of luck to all those at Belle Vue.
Danny Jones -
9th August 2024 
