BOTTOM, THE GAME LIVE WITHOUT SIDEY
years later and grabbed my second chance with both hands by taking eight wickets against the West Indies at Leeds.
“That hat-trick in New Zealand stands out because mum and dad (Arnie, also of Yorkshire and England) were there. Dad can be a nervous wreck, so he hasn’t watched me much, so to do it when the family were at the ground was really nice.
“Honestly, I’ve no regrets at all. I’ve taken five five-wicket hauls for England, once took 10 in a Test (10-139 at Hamilton 2008), so I must have done something right and I’m really happy with that. I would, though, love to have played in an Ashes series, but I thank my lucky stars that I’ve played for 20 years.
“I learned a lot from my father who said you’re going to have bad days and people will abuse you. You’re going to bowl the last over and you can lose the game. You’ve got to take it on the cheek, he said, and come back stronger. I’ve become consistent because of that advice.”
Sidebottom’s ability to swing the ball and to bowl economically – his 762 first class wickets cost a respectable 23.80 – frequently made scoring runs against him a challenge. Indeed, he went for fewer than three an over. Who would, he say, were the most difficult batsmen he bowled to?
“You always want to pit your wits against the best. Rahul Dravid, of India, had a perfect technique and secondly I’d have to go for Marcus Trescothick.He’s got one of those techniques that can take you apart.You think you’re bowling well and all of a sudden you’ve gone for three or four boundaries.”
Interestingly, Sidebottom is not one to bemoan the quality of cricket in the County Championship. So have standards improved in the last 20 years in his opinion? “I’d have to say it’s better,” he adds. “Look, players are faster, stronger and fitter. The fielding now is outstanding, especially in T20 cricket, and look at the batsmen and the way they hit the ball. The power hitting is tremendous and because of it the bowlers have had to improve their skills. I believe county cricket is in a good place and the two divisions have made the Championship stronger.
“As to my future, I’d like to stay in cricket in some form, possibly to mentor the younger generation of bowlers. There are a lot of left armers in the county game that I can pass on my experience to. But it’s not just about coaching. It’s passing on your knowledge of ups and downs, how to perform on different wickets and on ones that are flat. The Ryan Sidebottom Foundation is important to me.It is for underprivileged children. At the moment, I’ve got 20 boys playing. They’ve been with me for four years since eight and are with us until aged 16.This summer they’ve played for Caribbean in Leeds and some are doing really well.
“It’s all about getting boys and girls off the street and playing sport. Sport brings people together and, for me, the Foundation’s work is about putting something back in.
“Our benefactor also wants 20 girls, so we are trying to do that this winter and to get them with us for eight years.”
While Yorkshire’s main issue this past season has been inadequate batting, apart from skipper Gary Ballance, Sidebottom’s retirement is a huge loss, as Director of Cricket Martyn Moxon quickly admits.
“It’s a big hole to fill because Ryan since he came back from Notts has been a big part of our success. We’ve spoken about keeping him involved and we need to sit down with him to sort something out. “We’ll have to replace him but that won’t be easy considering Ryan’s skills and experience. We’ve got some young bowlers who are going to get the chance. Ben Coad has had a full season and done well (53 wickets) and Matthew Fisher will potentially play a bigger part next year. “David Willey also bowls left arm over, so he’s someone who can fill Ryan’s shoes. David’s not been available this summer because of his England selections, but the way the fixtures pan out next year, he could be available a lot more, particularly for Championship cricket.” And bearing in mind that Yorkshire just avoided relegation, at least there’s a hint of optimism for 2018 at Headingley even in Sidebottom’s absence.
To say that Sidebottom’s aggression, plus his competitiveness and match winning skills will be badly missed, is a gross understatement