ANDY FLINTOFF is fit to bowl again.

The big all-rounder has been playing as a specialist batsman since tearing his side muscle in the Benson and Hedges Cup defeat by Yorkshire in Liverpool on May 6.

But he passed a fitness test yesterday morning and returned to the Lancashire attack a week ahead of schedule with three overs on the opening day of the Championship game against Leicestershire.

That is a big boost to the balance of the Lancashire team, especially for one-day matches - and it will increase their options for the National League game against Middlesex at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Peter Martin and Glen Chapple had already reduced the visitors to 47 for three on the first day of Championship cricket at Old Trafford this season following the washout of Lancashire's previous home games against Surrey and Glamorgan.

But Darren Maddy and Ben Smith repaired the damage until Lancashire were frustrated yet again by the rain.

Martin produced a superb delivery to uproot former Kent opener Trevor Ward's off stump.

In the next over Chapple angled a ball across the left-handed Iain Sutcliffe and Mike Atherton took a brilliant one-handed catch at first slip.

Daniel Marsh, the son of the great Australian wicket keeper Rodney, responded positively, using his feet against Muttiah Muralitharan who again went wicketless for 12 overs.

But Chapple, the leading English bowler in the first class averages, picked up his 24th Championship wicket of the season when he had Marsh caught by Mark Chilton running back from square leg off a top-edged pull.

LANCASHIRE are making Sunday's Norwich Union National League match against Middlesex a special family day, with two tickets for the price of one.

MIKE Smethurst and Lancashire were frustrated on the second day of their four-day second team championship match against Yorkshire at Aigburth.

Smethurst picked up his second wicket, but had two chances dropped as Yorkshire reached 204-4 in reply to Lancashire's 326, then rain stopped play just after lunch.

DARREN THOMAS put a wayward Essex attack to the sword as he collected the first century of his career.

The Glamorgan left-hander was unbeaten on 119 from 166 deliveries to help the Welsh county move into the second day on a healthy 335 for seven.

When he arrived, Glamorgan were deep in trouble at 128 for six but he and Adrian Dale launched a superb recovery with a seventh-wicket partnership of 163 in 46 overs.