It takes a lot to overshadow a man making the third-fastest double-century in Test history, but Andrew Flintoff managed it with his merciless display at Christchurch. As our graph shows, Flintoff dominated his record partnership between Graham Thorpe, scoring more runs, facing more balls and pummelling more boundaries. But by the same token, it takes a lot to outhit Freddie when he's in full swing. In terms of scoring rate, though, Thorpe did just that. During their partnership, Thorpe scored at 87 runs per 100 balls (130 off 149), whereas Flintoff's rate was 81 (137 off 163).

Flintoff was more punishing, with 23 fours and three sixes, and he belted the living daylights out of Ian Butler: 38 runs off 19 deliveries, including six fours and two sixes. In all, boundaries accounted for a staggering 80% of Flintoff's runs (110 of 137); for Thorpe the rate both during the partnership (88 out of 130) and throughout his innings was (136 out of 200) was 68%.

Thorpe did hit four sixes though, to add to one in the first innings. In his previous 70 Tests, he had cleared the boundary only twice, and never outside England: his sixes came against Pakistan at Old Trafford last summer, and against India at Edgbaston in 1996.

Thorpe was at his best against the otherwise thrifty Chris Drum, who he caned for 85 runs off 85 balls. That's equivalent to 6.00 an over - against everyone else Drum went for only 2.38.

Rob Smyth is on the staff of Wisden.com.

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