England v South Africa, Second Test, Sunday 3 August 2003 Lord's, London

When a Test match meanders to an inevitable conclusion it can become tedious.

Flintoff surveys the damage TMS Champagne Moment

Try telling the Lord's crowd that after Andrew Flintoff's cameo.

"It was fabulous entertainment and English fans would have finally had a spring in their step that they haven't had for three days," Neil Manthorp said after commentating on the events prior to tea.

Flintoff and Makhaya Ntini took part in a combative duel, and although little love was lost between the pair, the contest, which ended all square, was all conducted with a smile.

• Round 1 - Ntini strikes Flintoff's helmet
• Rd 2 - Flintoff pulls Ntini for six
• Rd 3 - Flintoff pulls Ntini for four off the next ball
• Rd 4 - Flintoff hits another huge six
• Rd 5 - Ntini breaks Flintoff's bat with a fierce delivery
• Rd 6 - Ntini gives Flintoff another crack on the helmet

The pair continued to share the honours after the interval and both enjoyed rousing ovations from the crowd.

Flintoff pulled Ntini to the boundary to bring up his second century for his country and his first at Lord's, before moving onto his highest Test score with some bludgeoning blows.

And in the same over as Flintoff reached three figures, Ntini dismissed Steve Harmison to become the first South African to claim 10 wickets in a match at Lord's.

The Test Match Special team is being well and truly spoiled by the listeners at Lord's.

A vast array of cakes, food and wine keep being delivered to the box, although such generosity does have a downside.

It breaks every rule Henry Blofeld has set himself in his strict diet, and a few other members of the team may have to loosen their belts a notch or two come the conclusion of the match.

And the promise of free food has seen "enemy" commentators sneaking in to snitch supplies, a turn of events that has led Blowers to have a turn.

"These television chaps coming in and pinching our food really is too much," Blowers said in exasperation.

"Our listeners feed us but they don't expect our food to be thieved and stolen by these televisionites. It's daylight robbery.

"They obviously aren't fed as they come in here and take our cakes and duck pates. It's dreadful when you think we're the senior service."

Lord's being just around the corner from where Sherlock Holmes used to live, Bill Frindall donned his deerstalker to do a bit of investigating.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins set him the poser over Shaun Pollock's wicket-taking prowess.

The former South African skipper is as miserly as ever, but seems less potent than in the past.

And the facts supported CMJ's assertion. The Bearded Wonder found that Pollock has not taken a five-for since November 2001.

It's nothing new in maturing bowlers as Angus Fraser knows only too well from seeing himself in a book of Middlesex's 100 greatest cricketers.

His pride at seeing himself included was quickly punctured when he read that he became more obsessed with bowling maidens than taking wickets towards the end of his career.