Sidebottom wins top gong

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The 30-year-old Nottinghamshire left-arm seamer was presented with the award at the annual dinner at Lord's on Monday night after a stunning haul of 53 wickets at 25.24 in 12 Tests since being recalled last summer.

The award caps an amazing 12 months since Sidebottom was plucked out of county cricket by new England coach Peter Moores to replace Matthew Hoggard, who had suffered a thigh strain in the opening Test at Lord's, for the second Test against West Indies at Headingley.

Since then, he has developed into a bowler who was expected to be just a temporary replacement into the leading member of England's attack.

"All the talk when I was called up was that it was going to be just for one game," admitted Sidebottom, who claimed a stunning 24 wickets in just three Tests against New Zealand during the winter.

"They were all going on about the horses-for-courses thing. I sat down with my Dad and he said just get out there and do your best and don't look ahead. I suppose at Headingley I just played as if it was going to be my last game."

First selected in 2001 against Pakistan at Lord's by former coach Duncan Fletcher and then dropped immediately after a wicketless debut, Sidebottom's award represents one of the biggest comebacks in English cricket.

He remembers watching England in the opening Test last summer against West Indies on television, little knowing that fate was about to secure his recall and help him establish himself as a bowler now respected on the world stage.

"It's been a massive change in my fortunes," he admitted. "This time last year, I was training for Notts and just playing county cricket so it's been a massive turnaround.

"But it's one I'm not getting carried away about and I'm relishing the opportunity to play again for England at Lord's. It's massive to win it (this award), but it's not just down to me - the other guys who have been playing have made me feel very welcome in the team and it's just allowed me to do my job."