Sidebottom signs three-year deal with Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire ended weeks of speculation by confirming that they have signed Ryan Sidebottom on a three-year contract.

Sidebottom, 25, left Yorkshire at the end of the summer after failing to secure a permanent place in the side. "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," he explained. "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 Nottinghamshire," he continued. "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."

"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," explained Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire's director of cricket. "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 Nottinghmashire's fourth new signing since the end of the season, joining Mark Ealham, Anurag Singh and David Alleyne at Trent Bridge.