NOTTINGHAMSHIRE today completed their winter rebuilding programme by capturing the highly-prized signature of former England fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom.

The left armer went to the top of the wanted list of many counties when it was announced he would be leaving his native Yorkshire.
And after weighing up several offers, the 25-year-old decided to sign a three-year contract at Trent Bridge.

He said: "It reached the point at Yorkshire where I was bowling as well as I ever have done, was high in the national averages but was still not playing regularly in the first team.
"Competition is fierce among the seamers at Headingley but I am very ambitious and want to get back into the England set-up.

"The only way to do that is to take wickets week in week out and hopefully I'll get the chance to do that at Notts.
"It's a move to another Test ground where there's a good squad combining talented youngsters with some quality experienced players and I'm really looking forward to getting started."

Sidebottom has played one Test and two One-day Internationals for England as well as claiming 179 first class victims at an average of 24.74 in his 60 matches.
He also has more than 100 one-day wickets to his name at a cost of 29.75 apiece and boasts an excellent strike rate in both forms of the game.

Said Notts Director of Cricket Mick Newell: "At Yorkshire, Ryan was competing in a seam attack where everyone is an international but he offered variety as a left-armer so I was very surprised when they agreed to release him.
"We were in the market for a seamer and once I knew there was an opportunity to sign someone of his quality I had to target him as a top priority.
"He's an outstanding bowler with an excellent record and the right attitude and I'm delighted he has chosen to come and join us at Notts."

Sidebottom is Notts' fourth new signing of the winter and joins all-rounder Mark Ealham, batsman Anurag Singh and wicketkeeper David Alleyne on the playing staff at Trent Bridge