Flintoff to Have Surgery

A statement released by the England and Wales Cricket Board on Wednesday said that England All-Rounder Andrew Flintoff is to undergo a third operation on his troublesome left ankle.

Flintoff, who missed the first two tests of England's current npower Test series against West Indies because of his ankle, will have investigative surgery over the weekend.

'Andrew has undergone rigorous fitness testing over the past two days, most recently 30 minutes of net bowling on Tuesday, but has reacted to the testing with further discomfort in his left ankle,' ECB Chief Medical Officer Nick Peirce said in a statement.

'Despite intense conservative treatment and rehabilitation with England and Lancashire's medical teams, Andrew's ankle has continued to cause him discomfort when bowling at full capacity.  As a consequence, he will undergo exploratory arthroscopy on his left ankle over the weekend.'

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Michael Vaughan entered the record books following the England victory over West Indies in the second npower Test at Headingly.  Vaughan earned his 20th win in 34 matches as England captain, putting him level with Peter May.

Predictably Vaughan downplayed his achievement, choosing instead to focus on the success of the team.

'We got on top of the West Indies on that very first day,' he recalled.  'We were ruthless and got the job done.'

Vaughan's week at Headingly got off to a cracking start scoring a fluent 103, a century in his return to Test cricket after 18 months on the sidelines due to injury.