ANDY FLINTOFF has put Lancashire on course to go top of the County Championship with what he described as his best innings for the club.

Freddie marked his first Championship appearance of the season in the top two showdown with Surrey at the Oval by smashing a 75-ball century, going on to 137 with 20 fours and three sixes.

He then took two wickets and a good slip catch, and with Glen Chapple ripping out the first three Surrey batsmen in a superb opening spell, the Londoners resumed today on 126 for seven in reply to Lancashire's Flintoff-inspired 320 all out.

It means Flintoff will go into next week's First Test against Sri Lanka at Lords bursting with confidence but he said: "I wasn't worried about that. This is a massive game for Lancashire.

"It's as well as I've ever played and the best day's cricket with Lancashire that I can remember. I hit my first ball for four and it just went on from there."

Flintoff had come in at 99 for three after Mark Chilton had skied a full toss and Alec Swann ran himself out, and his innings was all the more impressive as wickets continued to fall steadily at the other end.

Finally he was left with only last man Gary Keedy for company and was stumped by Alec Stewart, who had already taken four catches, as he charged down the pitch to former England leg-spinner Ian Salisbury.

But Flintoff then did skipper Warren Hegg a favour in his head-to-head battle with Stewart for the England wicket keeping job, having Stewart caught behind by Hegg for a duck.

Chapple had already done the early damage, shouldering the extra responsibility in the absence of Peter Martin who was again ruled out by his stiff back.

Kyle Hogg also bowled an excellent accurate spell to keep Surrey on the back foot, although Lancashire were taking nothing for granted today after seeing Surrey's lower order frustrate them several times over the last few years.

"There's a lot more work to do, but that was fantastic," added Flintoff.

MLANCASHIRE have switched their National League match against Derbyshire to Blackpool's Stanley Park on July 14 to allow them to stage an extra pop concert at Old Trafford.

The game was originally scheduled to be a day-night match at Old Trafford on July 15 but the organisers of the Move series of concerts, which feature David Bowie, Paul Weller, Green Day and New Order, now need extra time to build the stage.

It means Lancashire will only have two day-night matches at Old Trafford this season, against Gloucestershire on June 4 and John Crawley's Hampshire on August 6.

A club spokesman explained that they had switched the Derbyshire game from Monday to Sunday to make it easier for supporters, and Lancashire will lay on a limited number of free coaches from Manchester to Blackpool on the day. But there will be an extra one-day match at Old Trafford to compensate later in the summer, with a visit from the star-studded Lashings club of Kent on a Sunday afternoon in August.

They have already signed up the likes of Brian Lara, Curtly Ambrose and even Sir Viv Richards, and Lancashire's marketing executive Geoff Durbin said: "It should be a great chance for our members and supporters not only to see these great players, but they will also be very accessible." Tickets for the match will cost £10 and £5 for concessions, with members receiving a 50% discount.