England have gambled on Andrew Flintoff’s fitness once this season.

Are they prepared to do so again? Should they do so?

On Thursday, the selectors will name their squad for the first Npower Test match against South Africa and they will be sorely tempted to include their star allrounder. But they have been down this road before. Last month, they were set to pick Flintoff for the first Test against New Zealand, only for him to break down while bowling for Lancashire two days before the announcement.

Since then, Flintoff has barely played in an effort to ensure his strained left side has healed. He bowled for the first time in a competitive environment four days ago.

On Friday evening, he delivered two more overs at Durham, claiming an eye-catching four wickets, three of them South African players, Dale Benkenstein, Albie Morkel and Shaun Pollock. The message was clear: Flintoff, at least, thinks he’s ready to take on the South Africans in a Test.

Today, though, is the acid test. After three weeks of frenetic Twenty20 activity, the domestic programme switches back to four-day championship cricket, and Flintoff will turn out for Lancashire against defending champions Sussex at Hove.

If Flintoff bowls 30 overs without mishap, and with fire, the case for including him will gain strength; if he makes runs – a 50 perhaps – it will be devilishly hard to resist taking another punt on him.

Flintoff actually presents England with not one dilemma but two. The first is whether to pick him. The second is where to play him if you do. Should he be treated as a bowler who might also contribute a few runs, or an allrounder expected to play a leading role on two fronts?

The best England XI is one the selectors won’t pick. It has Matthew Prior at No 6 as a wicketkeeper capable of centuries against the best attacks – and surely even he won’t drop catches as simple as the one Tim Ambrose put down yesterday. That would leave space below him for five bowlers, one of whom could be Flintoff.

Explore Cricket

• Counties

• Live Scores