Giddins: Three years on

Giddins is praised by skipper Hussain after destrpying Zimbabwe

It could be a pub quiz question: Which bowler destroyed Zimbabwe in their first Test in England?

A search of England's leading wicket-takers certainly will not reveal the man who took 5-15 at Lord's in 2000.

But the bowler's name - ESH Giddins - is logged for posterity on the honours board at the home of cricket, an honour that has evaded his team-mate that day Michael Atherton for one.

Among Ed Giddins' haul that day were skipper Andy Flower and leading all-rounder Neil Johnson as the tourists were bowled out for 83 in their first innings.

Those two will not be in attendance for Zimbabwe's second Test at Lord's, and neither will Giddins.

There seems to be a stigma about people over the age of 28 getting a recall

Ed Giddins

Look back to Lord's 2000

Instead the seamer is plying his trade with his fourth county, Hampshire, and he cannot disguise his disappointment at not having figured larger in England's plans.

"I came into this game 14 years ago to play 70 Test matches," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"Through a couple of factors, some my own some not, I've not managed that and I'll always regret that."

Giddins was already 28 by the time he played this, his second Test.

He was sacked by Sussex after being handed a 19-month ban from first-class cricket for taking cocaine in 1996.

A two-year spell with Warwickshire was blighted by injuries, with the club rarely sure whether he would be fighting fit or on his sickbed from innings to innings.

Giddins has left Surrey for Hampshire this year

And his England career stalled shortly after that Lord's highlight, when he went wicketless in his fourth Test, an innings defeat to West Indies.

Surrey were so certain he would play no part in their County Championship campaign this year that they only offered him a contract to play one-day cricket.

He opted instead for a move to the Rose Bowl.

Now 31 years old, Giddins dreams of England glory again, but is realistic as to his chances.

And he accuses England's selectors of stigmatising older cricketers.

"Have a look over the last 15 years at the way English cricket has gone," he goes on.

"First of all Shane Warne came along and they wanted anyone who could turn the ball out of the back of the hand.

GIDDINS' LORD'S HAUL

A Flower c Atherton 24

NC Johnson c Gough 14

GJ Whittall bowled 15

HH Streak c Atherton 4

BC Strang c Ramprakash 0

"Then the pacemen like [South Africa's Allan] Donald came along and they said that anyone who can bowl over 90mph - doesn't matter where it goes - could have a game.

"Then they wanted some good old English seamers after Angus Fraser and now they're going for anyone young because the other formulas didn't work."

Giddins does reserve some praise for England new-look pace attack, describing Steve Harmison and Simon Jones as "a very exciting couple of fast bowlers".

But for the moment his sights are set on county success as Zimbabwe prepare for a different challenge.

"I'm still extremely positive about the way I'm bowling and the way I'm going to produce for Hampshire this year," he adds.

"That is a tonic to take away a little bit of the disappointment over my career."