Flintoff: Lord's 'means a lot'

Date released: 20 July 2009

Fresh from clinching an Ashes victory at Lord's with a five wicket haul, Andrew Flintoff says having his name on the Lord's Honours Board "means a lot".

• Listen to Flintoff's post match comments (0.9 MB)

Flintoff salutes the Lord's crowd after his Ashes five-for Traditionally, after a player has recorded a century or taken a five-wicket haul, his team-mates will write his name up on the Lord's Honours Boards using tape, pen or whatever comes to hand.

Speaking after the 115-run win over Australia at Lord's Flintoff said:

"To be honest, I'd forgotten about it. But then, when I got up to the dressing room I turned around and the lads had put it up on the board.

"It does mean a lot. I'm up there on the other side (the batting Honours Board) for a dodgy hundred against South Africa but to be there with a five-for it does mean a lot. It means a lot to me.

"It was nice to get the five-for at the end but I think the work had been done by the entire team.

"It was nice to get a five-for in my last Test Match at Lord's, maybe milk the crowd a little bit. The last Test Match for me at Lord's is obviously a very special one."

England captain Andrew Strauss brought Flintoff on from the start of the fifth day and despite injury concerns Flintoff bowled continuously from the Pavilion End until the last wicket fell.

Strauss considered other bowling options - but was given no option by Flintoff Even with his mind on the rest of the Series Strauss said he didn't have much option with regard to giving the talismanic all-rounder a rest:

"I did have a chat to Freddie early on." Strauss said "But he said to me: 'Look, I'm going to keep bowling until there are no wickets left.' - which sounded like a pretty good plan to me."

Battle of wounded knee: Flintoff drops to one knee to celebrate his fifth wicket Flintoff had a word of warning for the Australians, with rumours continuing over his prolonged participation in the remainder of the Series:

"I'm getting faster as I get older.

"I'm confident. I'll do anything to get through these next three Test Matches. I've done better than get through this one."

He certainly did that. It was fairytale stuff with Flintoff's every charging delivery stride roared on by a packed out Lord's.

Flintoff led the team out and was the last man back up the Pavilion steps, an Ashes stump in his hand and his name on the Lord's Honours Board. Not bad for a player nearing his retirement.