Sidebottom is eager to attend to 'unfinished business'

RETURNING Yorkshire star Ryan Sidebottom has told fans his best is yet to come having originally left Headingley Carnegie "under a cloud".

The former England medium-pace bowler is relishing the opportunity to feature once more for his home county after re-signing from Nottinghamshire.

He departed in 2003, released by "mutual consent" amid uncertain circumstances given he was one of the club's most reliable performers, but is back having matured into a true international class bowler.

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Sidebottom, 32, told the Yorkshire Post: "It's great to be back.

"In a way I've a lot of unfinished business having left seven years ago under a bit of a cloud.

"I think the main reason was a lack of first-team opportunities at the time, for whatever reason, but that's all in the past now and I'm just here to play cricket.

"Thanks to Notts, I've obviously played quite a lot of first -lass games since and became a proven international player.

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"Now I'm back but I've a lot still to give and a lot still to prove. I want to do that with Yorkshire."

The Huddersfield-born player won the title with the White Rose in 2001 and feels next year they can lift the County Championship for the first time since that triumph.

He helped Nottinghamshire pip them to success this summer but is confident, with stellar bowling quality like Adil Rashid, Ajmal Shazad and Tim Bresnan, he can augment their next challenge.

Sidebottom, who has signed until 2013, added: "I'm not coming back for a three-year knees-up, just to enjoy myself and finish off a very good career.

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"I've come to take a lot of wickets – vital wickets – and hopefully win some trophies for Yorkshire.

"They've done really well this year and come close under Andrew Gale's captaincy, with Martyn Moxon and Craig White.

"It's great to see and excellent to be a part of that in the future but there's no reason why we can't go on and win it next year."

Having retired from international cricket last month, left-armer Sidebottom will be available full-time to push their challenge.

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However, he has some personal goals to attain as well with his famous father's wicket haul clearly in his sights. Former Tykes bowler Arnie Sidebottom claimed 596 first-class scalps before retiring in 1991.

"Probably the biggest thing I'm striving for is to beat my dad's record with Yorkshire," said his son. I'm on 475 now but I'd love to be able to follow in his footsteps and one day be able to say I've beaten him.

"He's always inspired me to do well.

"It'd be amazing if I could do what he did as well by becoming a bowling coach at Yorkshire and work further with these young talented players."

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