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Sidebottom proves value of county game
RYAN Sidebottom continued his
role as standard-bearer for the
benefits of county cricket with
another five-wicket haul to seal
England's 126-run second Test
triumph over New Zealand.
The 30-year-old Nottinghamshire
left-arm seamer has
only been a regular member of
England's Test side for ten
months, but he has already established
himself as the senior
member of the bowling attack.
He is the man captain Michael
Vaughan nearly always turns to
when he needs a wicket. He is the
also thrown the ball when Vaughan
needs control and he is the
man who takes the new ball.
That was underlined on the
final day at the Basin Reserve
with Sidebottom opening the
bowling and claiming the two
early wickets which effectively
broke New Zealand's resistance
and ensured England will turn
up in Napier for the final Test
with the series level.
Sidebottom finished with five
for 105 to take his tally in the last
two Tests to 16 wickets, while he
has taken 45 since being recalled
to England's line-up by newly-installed
coach Peter Moores for
the second Test against West Indies
at Headingley last May.
His efforts ensured that New
Zealand, chasing a victory target
of 438, were dismissed for 311, despite
a defiant 85 from hard-hitting
wicketkeeper Brendon Mc-
Cullum.
Sidebottom claimed the wickets
of Daniel Vettori and Kyle
Mills inside the first eight overs
of the day.
It is testament to his enduring
ability to trouble even high-class
batsmen, having been discarded
after only one wicketless Test in
2001 by former coach Duncan
Fletcher.
After the Test match I played
in 2001 I went back to county
cricket. I worked hard at my action
and what I could change,''
said Sidebottom. I worked hard
with my bowling coach Steve
Oldham, worked really hard with
doing drills.
I could swing the ball when I
was younger but I'd also have
days when I just pushed it across
and it always helps if you can
swing the ball because batsmen
don't know if it's going to carry
on its course or not.''
Sidebottom made the first
breakthrough off the 12th ball of
the day with captain Vettori edging
a drive to Alastair Cook at
third slip to give the tourists an
early boost.
Sidebottom then swung one
into Mills' pads, giving umpire
Rudi Koertzen an easy decision.
Jimmy Anderson overcame his
troublesome left ankle to induce
Mark Gillespie into an edge and
McCullum's three hours of defiance
ended when Sidebottom, fittingly,
took the catch at long-on
off left-arm spinner Monty Panesar
to end the match.
Once again it had been Sidebottom
who had provided the impetus
to finish the match, using
tried and tested techniques
honed in the much-maligned
county game for Yorkshire and
Nottinghamshire.
By bowling day in and day out
I know my own game and I've not
really changed much - I just bowl
how I do in county cricket,'' explained
Sidebottom. I've
learned off guys like Mark Ealham
and Greg Smith and
Stephen Fleming and it's just
great to be playing international
cricket.
You always go into games
wondering how you're going to
go, particularly after I'd not
played for so long, but I've not really
changed anything.''
Again watched by his father
Arnie, the former Yorkshire and
England seamer, Sidebottom is
likely to be a fixture for some
time given the high regard in
which he is held by Moores and
Vaughan.
I guess he's getting all the rewards
now for all the hard work
he's put in over the years and
hopefully that will continue for
a long while and he can have a really
good, sustained international
career,'' said Vaughan.
He's only played 12 Tests and
he's our most experienced
bowler. I guess it proves that
bowling all those overs in the
county game, really knowing his
game before he played at international
level, can help.''
He never needs telling, he always
knows what's required in
the situation, which is very
handy for a captain.''
As both Matthew Hoggard and
Steve Harmison can testify,
reaching 30 can be a milestone
too far for an international
bowler as they discovered for this
Test after they were ruthlessly
dropped to make way for younger
blood.
11:01am Tuesday 18th March 2008
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