Andrew Flintoff handed England an Ashes boost as he returned to form in spectacular fashion in the Twenty20 Cup at Derby.

Flintoff smashed 93 off just 41 balls with six sixes and nine fours to take Lancashire Lightning to 220 for six, their highest total in the Twenty20 Cup and the biggest against Derbyshire in the competition.

The England all-rounder demolished the home attack to make his highest competitive score since his Test century against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2005 and shared a stand of 99 in 10 overs with Indian star VVVS Laxman who made 63 off 45 balls.

It left the Phantoms needing 11 an over to win and although skipper Chris Rogers hit 52 off 30 balls, they finished 56 short on 164 for seven with Flintoff taking two for 32 from four overs.

Flintoff was playing his last game before joining up with England and the stage was already set for him when he walked to the wicket in the seventh over.

Laxman and Paul Horton with 24 off 15 balls had taken the Lightning to 70 for three but the real fireworks were still to come.

Flintoff’ gave Derbyshire one glimmer of a chance when Graham Wagg did brilliantly to get a hand to a drive off Garry Park at long off although the ball still went for the first of his sixes.

The England star drove Park straight for another six and hit two fours in the over before Laxman pulled Wagg for six to reach his 50 off 33 balls.

Flintoff flipped Wagg for six and brought up his fifty off only 24 balls by driving Greg Smith for his sixth four.

Laxman drove Park to cover but there was no respite for Derbyshire as Flintoff hammered 26 off the 18th over from Nantie Hayward, pulling the former South African Test paceman for two sixes and driving him for three fours.

Flintoff, who had earlier spent an hour signing autographs and posing for photos on his first appearance at Derby for nine years, was only denied a century by a breathtaking one-handed catch by Smith on the deep midwicket boundary in the last over.

He walked off to a standing ovation from a 3,000-plus crowd but the Phantoms made a spirited reply facing such a daunting target.

Flintoff yorked Wagg in his first over but Rogers and Smith moved into overdrive with the Phantoms skipper straight driving Sajid Mahmood for six on his way to a 27-ball fifty.

Rogers pulled Steven Croft to deep midwicket and former Lancashire favourite Stuart Law was bowled for a single as Derbyshire’s brave chase fell away.

Smith was run out for 56 and Flintoff returned to york Jamie Pipe before Lancashire sealed a victory that means they win the North Group while Derbyshire go out of the competition.