ANDY Flintoff hailed Lancashire's best one-day performance of the season before linking up with the England squad in London today.

They crushed Essex by 68 runs to book a NatWest Trophy quarter final at Surrey or Sussex, with Flintoff proving his fitness to the England selectors ahead of this weekend's one-day internationals by hammering 43 from 29 balls then taking 2-21.

"We played well as a unit, and that's something that has not been happening so far this year," said 'Freddie'.

"Mike Atherton and Sourav Ganguly put 150-odd on for the first wicket which is always a bonus.

"In the field there was a lot of energy around and we bowled well considering we were missing some bowlers.

"Every one-day game this year we've been trying but it's just not been happening for us. That was much better.

The same was true of Flintoff's individual performance. "My back's fine, although my legs are a bit heavy," he added. "It's been fine since I had a jab last week. Now I want to use the one-day series to get back in the Test team. The Lord's game would have been a great Test to play in, and it will be hard to make them change a side that has just won."

Atherton also made his point to the England selectors with his third consecutive NatWest half century, contributing 70 for 125 balls to the opening stand of 163 in 39 overs with Ganguly.

It was another example of Atherton's value in one-day cricket. But surprisingly he has been overlooked despite the injury to Nasser Hussain -- even though he was England's man of the one-day series against West Indies when they last toured in 1995.

Ganguly, meanwhile, seems to be reserving his best form for the NatWest Trophy.

He slammed 120 not out in an unbroken opening stand of 193 with Atherton in the last round against Lincolnshire, and yesterday came within three runs of another century.

Ganguly lofted four sixes as he moved to 97 from 119 balls before holing out to long on.

Stuart Law, Essex's Aussie opener, was the only real threat.

Gary Yates had Ronnie Irani caught at long off and then picked up four catches himself, three off Chris Schofield who ended with 4-34.

Lancashire were without Peter Martin, Ian Austin and Glen Chapple, who pulled out with flu and is a fitness worry for the Championship game against Derbyshire which starts tomorrow.