By Anna Thompson

Flintoff made his debut for Lancashire in 1995, aged 17

You could say Andrew Flintoff had cricket in his blood.

When he was a baby his mother Susan used to wheel him in his pram around the boundary ropes where his father Colin was playing for Dutton Forshaw's in Preston.

His older brother Chris was a decent young cricketer too and Andrew mucked about with him and learned the game from his dad.

Ironically the game was not played at his schools, Greenlands County Primary and Ribbleton Hall High in Preston.

His father Colin told BBC Sport that Andrew initially preferred to bowl but he had a natural eye for batting, although he was very green.

Andrew played his first competitive match at the age of eight for Dutton Forshaw's junior side.

At the age of nine he received a Lancashire under-11s cap and he was so proud of it he did not take it off for a week!

FLINTOFF MILESTONES Aged 8: Plays first game of cricket for Dutton Forshaw's Juniors, Preston Aged 9: Receives Lancashire under-11s county cap Aged 13: Plays for first adult team, St Annes Cricket Club 4th XI Aged 14: Plays for St Annes CC first XI Aged 17: Makes Lancashire debut Aged 20: Makes England Test debut v South Africa at Trent Bridge Aged 21: Makes England one-day debut v Pakistan in Sharjah

Andrew also began playing for St Annes, near Blackpool, and made his debut for the 4th XI when he was 13.

They were playing Preesall, a Lancashire village, and had bowled them out for 46.

The St Annes captain, Tim Rawstron, asked Andrew if he would like to open the batting.

He said yes and proceeded to smash a burly Scottish bowler around the ground, scoring 32 not out including four fours and one six.

At the age of 14 he became the youngest player to be selected for St Annes' first XI in the Northern League.

Colin recalled: "It was the last game of the season and St Annes were playing Chorley and the captain Robin Bracewell thought it was a good time to introduce some youngsters.

"Andrew opened the batting and scored 20-odd and impressed those who were there.

"At the time people were saying he was special and that he'd go far. You hope that would be the case but I never believed it. But look at him now!"

Andrew was a growing lad and when he was 16 he suffered back problems which meant he could not bowl for many months.

He could still bat though and it was during this time he really honed his technique and skill.

Andrew made his Lancashire debut in 1995 at the age of 17 and has represented England at every level, captaining them at under-19 level.

Flintoff makes the move from playing for St Annes to playing for Lancashire in 1995

He made his Test debut aged 20 against South Africa at Trent Bridge in 1998, recording modest figures of 1-68 off 23 overs and scoring 17.

A year later he made his one-day international debut against Pakistan and scored 50, including two fours and four sixes.

At this time he was already beginning to be known as Freddie, as in Flintstone because of the similarities in the surname, but he was also resembling the portly caveman too.

His weight ballooned and he received a stern talking to from his former Lancashire and England colleague and now his agent Neil Fairbrother who told him to get himself fit or he would waste his talent.

Andrew has not looked back since and his star has certainly been rising.

He had never played in an Ashes series and Colin said Andrew was raring to go this summer.

And he has certainly delivered - scoring 194 runs in the three Tests so far and taking 16 wickets at an average of 27.50.

Colin and Susan have been at every Test this summer and he said: "I still find it hard to believe that it is our lad who is out there, giving it to the Australians.

"Fans have been singing his name and chanting. It gets me very emotional."

Andrew has publicly stated his father has been a great influence on his life - and still gives him advice.

But Colin said they rarely talk about cricket.

"I try not to talk cricket with him. When people meet him all they want to do is talk cricket but it's like going home from work and talking about work all evening with the wife. You want to talk about something else!"

But judging by his popularity, he may find that hard to achieve.