Last year, when England's ragbag one-day side was getting butchered in Sri Lanka, Andrew Flintoff was not fit enough to bowl at all. Fast-forward 11 months and he is bowling crucial last overs, winning matches with the ball, and getting his kit off in celebration. At Auckland today he showed that you don't always need to bowl a good length to prosper. He bowled 74% of his deliveries (31 out of 42) short of a length, but as Glenn McGrath in particular has shown over the years, back of a length can be a very good length sometimes. Flintoff conceded only nine runs off those 31 balls, six of them from an extraordinary waft over extra cover by Lou Vincent, which was the only boundary Flintoff conceded all day.

Bowling shorter suits Flintoff because his heavy style of bowling makes him difficult to get away, especially when he bowls a consistent line as he did today. Over 80% of his deliveries (35 out of 42), pitched outside off stump, and only 13 runs came from those 35 balls.

New Zealand struggled throughout against Flintoff, and were only in control of 52% of the shots they played off him, proof that Freddie was just too hot to handle.

Rob Smyth was on the staff of Wisden.com.

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