Did you know what a super over was? Or were you, like most of the UK viewers that fateful Sunday, frantically searching for the meaning online? Data showed that, at one point during the final of the cricket World Cup this month, for 15 minutes more people searched for ‘super over’ than they did for ‘Youtube’, one of the most searched for terms on Google.

The final match of the tournament, between England and New Zealand, drew a peak TV audience of 4.5 million viewers to Channel 4 as the UK battled between the magic of a super over and the heartbreak unfolding on Wimbledon’s Centre Court. In amongst both these games were of course, the stories of the players, the commitment, excitement and skill. It’s those stories that draw audiences to the game and there is no story of modern cricket quite like that of Freddie Flintoff.

Flintoff’s story is a powerful tale and one that, for NatWest, slots in perfectly under their #NoBoundaries campaign. Arguably one of the sport’s leading all-rounders, Flintoff was challenged to face his own bowling in a spot from M&C Saatchi, ‘Freddie v Freddie.’

The team used new BOLA bowling machine technology which allowed them to replicate any ball bowled in the game in the last 38 years, the length of time NatWest have supported cricket across Britain. The BOLA machine is able to recreate the spin, swing, length and pace of any ball.

Fans were invited to vote for their favourite ball of Freddie’s from a shortlist. The over chosen was the momentous one at the 2005 Ashes in Edgbaston. As Flintoff speaks sentimentally to camera, we skip to a desolate ground in Ealing as he promptly hits himself for six while the film flashes back to archive footage of the day itself.

The campaign comes as part of NatWest’s partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board and the support they show the sport and players, from grassroots to elite. It shows Flintoff in a reflective state, acknowledging the brilliance of the game, something we’ve all been doing this summer as England became world champions.

While those of us in the marketing sphere can’t help but admire the long-term commitment of Nat West to cricket; a brand partnership which reflects the power of long-term sponsorship to drive authentic connections with consumers.