WORLD cricketing superstar Andrew Flintoff takes centre stage in the biggest day in the Rose Bowl's four-year history tomorrow.

The 26-year-old all-rounder is the main attraction for a 16,000 sell-out crowd as England take on Sri Lanka in the ICC Champions Trophy.

But it's not only 'Freddie' Flintoff, the ICC international one-day cricketer of the year, who will be aiming to serve up a treat for a record Rose Bowl attendance.

Ambitious Hampshire cricket chairman Rod Bransgrove has a dream of the West End stadium as a regular venue for England Test matches - starting in three years time.

"At that stage we will clearly be starting to put pressure on the authorities to include the Rose Bowl as one of the Test match grounds of the UK," he said.

Bransgrove, left, is convinced that a successful operation tomorrow, and for next Wednesday's semi-final, is a necessity..

He added: "Most tournaments are remembered for their end rather than their beginning and the two big games we've got now are the England game and then the semi final. These are the two games on which we'll be judged.

"I'm trying to negotiate a long-term commitment from the ECB similar to that which Headingley and Trent Bridge and the Oval and others enjoy.

"Clearly this is a very important audition for us and will count heavily in those negotiations.

"We can provide something for English cricket that it doesn't currently have which is a modern stadium, full of unobscured seats with world class floodlighting, which will be a huge benefit to English cricket."

Full Bransgrove interview: See Pages 48 & 49 of tonight's Daily Echo.