Flintoff needs to open the bowling

As we sat there on Wednesday afternoon, hoping that England could take a couple of wickets before the end of the day to compensate - if only in a tiny way - for a poor batting performance, myself and a number of the spectators wondered why Flintoff doesn't open the bowling for England. As it happened he came on and got Smith to play and miss first ball, and then got him out with the second.

It's got nothing to do with that wicket or his results in this game, but I definitely think Flintoff needs to open. Anderson and Sidebottom are relatively similar in the fact that they rely on swing, if not in pace, and there's barely an opposition player out there that doesn't identify Flintoff as England's best bowler. It needs to be a strange set of circumstances to consistently ask your best bowler to wait until 1st change to bowl.

This morning at Edgbaston it seems unthinkable that England wouldn't ask Flintoff to open the bowling (doesn't it?) - I hope that continues in the 2nd innings and from here on in.