Six years shalt thou labour and on the seventh have thy reward. Thus might one
paraphrase a familiar biblical text to summarise the rise, fall and rise
again of Ryan Sidebottom, the left-arm fast bowler with the Charles II curls
who has become England's key to success in New Zealand.
His 16 wickets in the first two Tests have given his team the crucial cutting
edge with the new ball that will be even more important on what is expected
to be a flat pitch in the deciding Test in Napier, starting this weekend.
They would never have gone to him, however, had he not served a thorough
apprenticeship in county cricket for Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, after
making no impact in his first brief phase as an international player seven
years ago.
Sidebottom was sent back to county cricket as a failure after his wicketless
Test appearance at Lord's against Pakistan in 2001 and it was not until May
last year that he upstaged his father, Arnie, who managed only one in his
only Test in 1985 - the not very distinguished scalp of Bob Holland - before
breaking down against Australia at Trent Bridge.
“I've not really changed anything since getting into the team - I've just
bowled exactly as I have for the last three years or so in county cricket,”
Sidebottom Jr said after getting Daniel Vettori caught at third slip
yesterday morning to make certain that England would not be kept waiting
long for their win in the second Test.
“I went back and worked hard in county cricket, working with Steve Oldham [his
then coach at Yorkshire] on my action, trying to get my wrist behind the
ball more consistently. I could swing the ball when I was younger, but I'd
have days where I just pitched it across. Now I'm swinging it, the batsmen
don't know if it's going to carry on its course or swing in.”
In county cricket at the moment, only Jason Lewry, of Sussex, presents the
same danger with a new ball, late inswing at a pace that gives them both so
many leg-before victims. Since J.K. Lever's triumphs in India in 1976-77,
England selectors have always wanted a left-arm bowler if they could find
one good enough, not least because their follow-throughs create rough for
spinners, but Paul Taylor and Mike Smith were not rated by their captain and
Simon Brown, of Durham, was given equally short shrift.
Alan Mullally, the laconic Western Australian, took 58 wickets in 19 Tests,
but managed only one five-wicket analysis, whereas Sidebottom returned five
for 105 in the second innings at Wellington after his career-best six for 49
in the second innings of the first Test in Hamilton.
Of his 45 victims in 12 Tests, 15 have been leg-before, with five bowled and
the rest caught, usually either by the wicketkeeper or in the slips. But for
England's fallible catching all last year and again in Wellington, the
“caught” tally would be at least ten greater, but some wonderful catching in
Hamilton, especially by Alastair Cook, to some extent compensated for the
anguish of so many grassed chances.
For Matt Prior, too many mistakes cost him his Test place and reduced
Sidebottom to more than one all-too-public display of chagrin in Sri Lanka,
during a series in which, despite bowling at least as well as he has here,
he took only five wickets in three tough matches. Obvious fury at a
team-mate, however understandable, is not the way to go about it - he was
used to better catching when Chris Read and Stephen Fleming were together at
Trent Bridge - and it cost Sidebottom some gentle rebukes from senior
figures within the dressing-room.
He has admitted a need to curb his histrionics, but this quiet, friendly
fellow says that he cannot help being emotional on the pitch. “I'm very
passionate,” Sidebottom said. “It's been a long time since I played, so I
give it my all and if it's not good enough on a day, so be it. But I'm 30
now and if I keep myself fit and strong I still feel I can play for a good
few years.”
It is a moot point whether Sidebottom or James Anderson was the leader of
England's attack at the Basin Reserve, but with five wickets in an innings
to each of them, and Stuart Broad bowling better than either in the strong
winds on Sunday, the newly shaped fast attack happily vindicated the
selectors' decision to drop Stephen Harmison and Matthew Hoggard. (Both
would also have enjoyed these conditions compared to the inimical ones in
Hamilton, but that is only part of the point.)
The New Zealand selectors have acted to give their power of swing a boost by
bringing Tim Southee, 19, into a party of 14 from whom the third Test XI
will be chosen. Kyle Mills has soreness behind his left knee and may have to
be rested. Alternatively, Southee might be preferred to Mark Gillespie, who
bowled with pace and spirit in Wellington in his second Test but also missed
two catches and conceded runs at four an over, which might be deemed too
expensive on Napier's fast-scoring ground.
Southee impressed with his good action in the Twenty20 matches against
England, was the outstanding bowler for any nation in the recent under-19
World Cup, in which he took 17 wickets at only six runs each, and in
Northern Districts' fixture at the weekend returned match figures of seven
for 77 against Auckland.
Wellington summary
England beat New Zealand by 126 runs
England: First Innings 342 (T R Ambrose 102, P D Collingwood 65; M R
Gillespie 4 for 79). Second Innings 293 (A N Cook 60, P D Collingwood 59).
New Zealand: First Innings 198 (L R P L Taylor 53, D L Vettori 50 not
out; J M Anderson 5 for 73). Second Innings 311 (B B McCullum 85, L R P L
Taylor 55; R J Sidebottom 5 for 105).
Series details: First Test (Hamilton) New Zealand won by 189 runs.
Test to come: Third (Napier) March 22-26.
