ANDREW Hodd has urged patience with Yorkshire's young seamers as the club look to cushion the loss of Ryan Sidebottom at the end of the season.

Sidebottom, who Hodd believes is still improving at 39, will retire in September.

Wicket-keeper Hodd has the best view in the house of the left-arm swing bowler, and he is not the first to describe the former England international as "irreplaceable".

But he has seen enough from the county's crop of up and comers, led by Ben Coad, to confidently predict a bright future nevertheless.

Sidebottom returns for tomorrow's Specsavers County Championship match against Somerset at Scarborough after missing last week's draw with Surrey due to fatigue.

"There are definitely encouraging signs in terms of lads stepping up," said Hodd.

"We all know the quality Ben Coad, Josh Shaw and Matt Fisher have got, but they haven't really had the chance to show it in the first team because our experienced seamers have won us two Championships.

"Now Ben is getting his chance. Not only is he doing a job, he's made himself undroppable.

"That's brilliant, especially given who we are going to be missing in the next few years. A lot of our senior lads are in their thirties.

"It is great to see Ben take the game by storm.

"As long as they are not trying to fill Ryan Sidebottom's boots, they will be all right. If you are comparing, it's too much pressure.

"Ryan's record is the best its ever been, as is his skill level.
"We just have to be patient with whoever comes in."

Sidebottom has taken 1,047 career wickets, including 756 from 226 first-class matches at an average of 23.71.

Since returning to Yorkshire from Notts ahead of 2011, he has taken 281 wickets in 79 matches at 20.73.

"You only have to look at his career, but what he brings in the changing room is something special," said Hodd.

"I won't miss the fact that when you drop a catch off him he doesn't speak to you for a couple of days, but hopefully you don't drop many!

"He's going to be irreplaceable.

"He's the sort of class performer who may have dropped a couple of mph from when he was playing for England, but his skill level is still improving even now.

"He's frighteningly good and always gets the good players out. That's the sign of a really good performer."

There have been questions put to Andrew Gale this season about whether he has tried to urge Sidebottom to reconsider retirement, but the man himself is adamant he is making the right call.

Hodd, however, has no doubt he could still do a job beyond this season.

"I don't think it's the playing that's hard for him, it's the winter preparation and the gym," he said.

"But I think you could even wheel Siddy out on March 1 with a ball in hand and he'd still do brilliantly."

Hodd has enjoyed a productive Championship campaign himself, taking 24 catches from six matches and adding 224 runs, including two fifties.

He also returns to the team this week having missed out with Jonny Bairstow available last week.

"I'm not trying to put too much pressure on myself and enjoy it," he added.

"I've been guilty in the past of caring a bit too much and worrying what people think, being an understudy to Matt Prior at Sussex or Jonny here – that sort of thing.

"When those guys go away, you want to contribute.

"I hope people don't compare because there's only one winner.

"Now I'm coming to the end of my career, that sort of thing is not worth worrying about."

Yorkshire squad: Bresnan (captain), Brook, Coad, Handscomb, Hodd (wicket-keeper), Kohler-Cadmore, Leaning, Lees, Lyth, Patterson, Plunkett, Rashid, Sidebottom.