ANDREW Flintoff blasted the Rose Bowl's first one-day international hundred ... with the help of a new bat.

Flintoff's 104 from 91 balls was arguably the best innings the ground has seen in its four-year history.

And it reminded the reserve day crowd of 7,000 that England at last have a talent to compare with Botham.

The Rose Bowl's eighth one-day ton was the first scored at the ground this season and the first by a non-Hampshire player since former Sussex batsman Bas Zuiderent scored the ground's maiden limited overs hundred in May 2002.

But Flintoff's 104 was in a league all of its own.

It contained three sixes into the northern end as he smashed his second fifty from just 20 balls with a new bat.

"I picked it up for the first time at 8.30 am," said the the 26-year-old after scoring his third one day international hundred of the summer.

Flintoff was eventually bowled by former Hampshire bowler Chaminda Vaas in the final over of the England innings, having enjoyed a 94-run partnershp with Paul Collingwood.

Unbeaten on 21 with England 118 for 3 before rain set in on Friday, Flintoff helped England total 251 for 7, which ensured a 49-run under the revised Duckworth/Lewis calculation.

He twice received a standing ovation from Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove, managing director Nick Pike and the rest of the crowd.

And if Flintoff's innings was not thrilling enough, Steve Harmison then clocked 96.3 mph during a hostile spell that included the early wickets of Avishka Gunawardene ( 5 ) and Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu (1).

But it was Flintoff's day.

England's main man took two wickets of his own before the rain returned, leaving the calculators to confirm a semi final against Australia tomorrow.

Flintoff, who was dropped on 1 and on 25, said: "I enjoyed it, it was very satisfying. To be honest I was only aiming for 220.

"I was in for the last eight or nine overs and the position I was in with Paul Collingood meant I could get a bit more.

"The ball was nipping about a bit and I rode my luck early on but it's been that sort of summer, things have gone my way a little bit."

The Rose Bowl's previous highest ODI score was the 99 made by Chris Gayle for West Indies against Bangladesh last week.

England captain Michael Vaughan said: "Freddie deserves a lot of credit for what you can describe as the perfect one-day innings, and also for his partnership with Paul Collingwood, who also played a gem of an innings.

"Hopefully he can continue that form for a couple more days. We saw in the summer when he wasn't there that we missed him.

"His batting is exceptional, his bowling is exceptional and his fielding isn't bad either."