1. 1998 J Kallis c Stewart b Flintoff 47, fourth Test against South Africa at Trent Bridge

Debatable whether this delivery, which nipped back to take the inside edge, ranks in Flintoff’s top drawer. It got him going on debut, though, broke a very handy stand of 79 – and Kallis is a five-star first victim for anyone, in a cauldron of a series England fought back to win.

2. 2004 B Lara b Flintoff 0, third Test against West Indies at Old Trafford

It is hard to imagine much higher testament of anyone’s skills than to say master batsman Lara was no match for them. On this occasion at least, there was no argument – Flintoff terrorising the Windies captain before bowling him round his legs with a pinpoint delivery of extreme pace, in a series England won 4-0 as they gathered their glorious 2005 momentum.

3. 2005 R Ponting c G Jones b Flintoff 0, second Ashes Test at Edgbaston

Flintoff followed up his crucial runs with a spell of the highest class on the third evening of a famous match England would win by two runs. Having cleaned up Justin Langer, he concluded the same over – full of fast inswingers – with a leg-cutter to see off the Australia captain for a fourth-ball duck.

4. 2005 M Hayden b Flintoff 36, third Ashes Test at Old Trafford

Flintoff et al more or less routinely eliminated Hayden’s threat at the top of the order and Adam Gilchrist’s game-breaking middle-order potential throughout the summer. When he bowled the opener round his legs with more searing pace, it did not prove to be quite enough to help force an England victory in Manchester - but it was symptomatic of the hosts’ unexpected series supremacy.

5. 2008 J Kallis b Flintoff 64, third Test at Edgbaston

Flintoff was inspired as he tore into a well-set Kallis and roused the crowd with a magnificent display of fast bowling. Flintoff narrowly missed the off stump with a yorker before ruffling Kallis with two short balls and then having a good lbw appeal turned down. He soon got his man, however, bowling him with an inswinging yorker next over.

6. 2009 P Siddle b Flintoff 7, second Test at Lord’s

An on-fire Flintoff tore through the Australia lower order on the final morning as the tourists chased a mammoth and unlikely victory target. With four wickets already to his name, Flintoff steamed in again off a shortened run-up, producing a repeat of the delivery which nipped back to bowl Nathan Hauritz a few minutes earlier. Siddle was done through the gate and the England players mobbed Flintoff for a performance which won them the second Test – and produced a rare five-wicket haul for Freddie.