England's Ryan Sidebottom bowls in nets yesterday ahead of the team's third Test match against the West Indies in Manchester.

OLD TRAFFORD, England (CMC):

ENGLAND'S Headingley hero Ryan Sidebottom is not reading too much into his fairytale return to Test cricket.

In his firstTest in six years, the 29-year-old, left-arm seamer grabbed an eight-wicket match haul in the second Test of the four-match series against the West Indies last week to help England to a huge innings and 283-run victory.

"At the end of the day I am not going to get carried away, it's only one game and the ball swung," said Sidebottom, who had played just one Test prior to Headingley.

"I was picked to take wickets and did, but this week (in the third Test at Old Trafford) is a different ball game in different conditions. "I am not looking too far ahead - this is only my third Test and I want to perform again, I want to be a regular."

Sidebottom, who used the bleak conditions at Headingley to his advantage, said he intended to remain among the wickets in order to maintain his place in the England side.

"Hoggard (Matthew) is injured, so is Freddie (Andrew Flintoff). There are other guys ahead of me in the pecking order but if I keep going out and taking wickets, hopefully I'll keep getting selected," Sidebottom stressed.

England's selectors produced a shock when they unexpectedly called up the Nottinghamshire paceman for the second Test, following a spate of injuries to the senior fast bowlers.

He responded impressively, however, bowling with penetration as the West Indies crumbled for 146 and 141 respectively. He snared four wickets in each innings. Sidebottom admitted while there was doubt he would ever play international cricket again after his innocuous debut against Pakistan at Lord's in 2001, he always dreamed of suiting up for England.

He said he spent his time away from international cricket honing his skills in the County Championships.

"Of course there was doubt," Sidebottom said. "Everybody wants to play Test cricket and it had been a long time between games for me. Six years is a very long time but you never give up hope of playing."

"Just watching on telly you always feel you want to be part of an England team.

"I just worked hard every day in county cricket and got the ball to swing.I am never going to be 90 mph but I obviously can do other things, as I proved last week. Trying to swing and seam it is something I can bring to the game.

"There are other bowlers around the world - people like Chaminda Vaas - who I look up to. He's a left-armer who bowls in the mid-70s, who swings the ball around and does different things.

"He's proved that there are other bowlers in Test cricket, not just ones with express pace. It is also about swing, working out batsmen, how they play, and bowling at their weaknesses."

Sidebottom is expected to feature again when England and West Indies clash in the third Test starting tomorrow.