Rocky Flintoff, the precocious teenaged cricketer stepping out of his father’s shadow

On Andrew Flintoff’s last visit to Brisbane with England, in November 2006, the captain watched on as Steve Harmison delivered the most infamous opening ball of any Ashes series – a delivery that went straight into Flintoff’s hands at first slip.

A generation on and England’s faith in his son, 16-year-old Rocky, is unlikely to be so wide of the mark.

England Lions, coached by the former England all-rounder, walked out at the Ian Healy Oval to take on a Cricket Australia XI in Queensland on Monday night, and all eyes were on a batter who has already shown rare promise for Lancashire and the under-19 national side. A first innings effort of 19 in a Lions’ score of 223 may have left some underwhelmed.

But whatever happens on this tour, the precocious Rocky – the youngest cricketer ever selected for an England Lions tour – won’t be fazed by whatever is thrown at him, based on early evidence. And although his surname will ensure he has a target on his back, he’ll greet any challenges that come his way in the traditional Flintoff manner, head on.

The temperatures in Brisbane are a world away from those at Lytham St Annes on the Lancashire coast. But, in the January chill, those who have witnessed Rocky’s rise are absolutely confident that it won’t be a case of too much too soon for a cricketer who has taken each step on the sporting ladder in his stride.

“It’s not just the Flintoff name on the sporting side, it’s Flintoff the celebrity,” says Kevin Reid, senior cricket lead at St Annes’ Cricket Club.

“A lot of younger people don’t know Andrew because of cricket, they know him through his stints on TV. That might be too much for some cricketers, but when Rocky was with the other lads, he just mixed in. You wouldn’t have had any idea that he was the son of one of the most famous people in the country.”

If the burden of expectation has proved too much for the offspring of some of cricket’s most famous names, the teenager has embraced it, his emergence capturing the imagination of those hoping Rocky will one day emulate his famous father. A YouTube video of his virtuoso century for Lancashire Second XI against Warwickshire last April has already been viewed almost 350,000 times. It’s a measure of his excellence that you could easily be fooled into thinking you were watching a showreel of his dad in his pomp. He’s a chip off the old block both in stature and technique.

That hundred, scored at the age of 16 years and 16 days, meant Rocky had beaten the previous Lancashire record, held by his dad (who else?), by 250 days. It also saw him become the third youngest century maker in the Second XI Championship.

“I think Freddie was around the age of 14 or 15 when he first broke into the club’s first team, and he was clearly just better than everybody else,” says chair, Russ Bradley, who remembers the buzz of excitement as the future England captain was coming through the ranks.

“He just had the natural ability and he hit the ball harder than anyone else. There was no real weakness to pick out. He stood out. And now we’re seeing it again. It’s not just Rocky, his older brother [Corey] is a very, very good cricketer too.

“Playing against a bigger older brother has probably helped [Rocky] quite a bit. Rocky is a very level-headed lad but Lancashire and his family have protected him very well. He has been kept out of limelight, but you could always tell he was exceptionally talented.”

Keeping a lid on the excitement generated by him has been no mean feat. If that century for the Second XI whetted the appetite, then his hundred in the second Test of England Under-19s’ summer Test series against Sri Lanka confirmed that this was a player destined to play at the highest level. With his dad watching on from the stands at Cheltenham College, Rocky scored 106 from 181 balls to become the youngest player to score a century for that team. Given the talent that has proceeded him, that’s some feat.

“He’s a normal teenage lad around the group, but when he gets out in the middle he’s more like a 25-year-old,” said his England Under-19s coach, Michael Yardy.

Among his teammates that day, were Michael Vaughan’s son, Archie, Jaydn Denly, nephew of Joe, and Farhan Ahmed, brother of England leg-spinner, Rehan.

Speaking to the Independent last summer, Yardy shed some light on why English cricket can sometimes seem like a version of the Generation Game.

“Early exposure to the professional game must help,” he says. “It’s probably a set of unique circumstances with this group but, from our perspective, we’re not concerned by surnames, you just pick the players with the best potential, like you would in any other sport.

“A lot of the time, when you’ve had parents that have played the sport, some kids will really want to play the game, and some kids will go the other way. They’ve seen their mum and dad do it and decided it’s not for them.”

Fortunately for England, Rocky seems intent on following in his dad’s footsteps. And doing it as quickly as possible.