Runs, timing key as Patterson continues to push Test case

Kurtis Patterson could hardly have made a better start to a summer that may yet reopen a door to Test cricket.

While it's been more than seven years since his last appearance in the Baggy Green, the NSW left-hander was surely among the players shortlisted by Australian selectors when considering how to replace injured duo Cameron Green and Josh Inglis.

Former teammate Moises Henriques certainly thinks so, given the rationale provided by head selector George Bailey for Nic Maddinson's surprise call-up for the first Test against South Africa in what was his first first-class match in more than 18 months.

"If you're talking who are your most experienced batters to pick from to play this Test match, it's Nic Maddinson, Peter Handscomb and Kurtis Patterson, they're the three guys," Henriques said on Fox Cricket prior to day two in Gqeberha.

Patterson revealed he had a "good chat" with Bailey last month but admitted there's little he could do to increase his prospects of adding to his two Tests outside of scoring more runs and at the right time.

And having posted his first century of the Sheffield Shield season on Monday to back up the 54 he scored in round one, he's certainly done that.

"Early-season runs are always nice to get the monkey off the back in a way and get some time in the middle," Patterson said after finishing on 117 not out at stumps on day one against Western Australia.

"You never really know how well you're going after preseason until you get playing, so it was nice to score some runs."

The century comes at a time when Australia's Test batting depth continues to be closely scrutinised, and Patterson, who scored 30 and 114no against Sri Lanka in 2019 before being squeezed out by the returns of David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft from suspension, could be as close as he's been to another opportunity since.

Last summer, the experienced top-order batter produced the fifth highest One-Day Cup runs tally (565) in the tournament's 57-year history, with his average of 113 setting a new competition benchmark for a batter with eight innings or more in a season. He also hit two Shield centuries to complement his three hundreds and three half-centuries in the 50-over format.

The 33-year-old said a minor groin injury he picked up in the Blues' one-day season opener last month where he scored another half-century hadn't curtailed his hopes of a Test call-up for the South Africa series and he was always going to be available for their first Shield game.

"I had a good chat with George (Bailey) maybe a month ago and there wasn't much to report, to be honest," Patterson said.

"I've been around for long enough now; you just can't control it.

"The ambition is still there … every domestic player wants to play for Australia. So it's just about scoring runs and if you can do it at the right time and the stars align, then you never know."

While Patterson remains the lynchpin of the Blues' batting line-up, new coach Brad Haddin has also got the cavalry firing around him to start the season as they seek to rejuvenate their Shield form after finishing in the top half of the standings just once in the past five seasons.

Oliver Davies and Jack Edwards also hit centuries – the former's a double – in their season-opening draw with Tasmania with NSW racking up 940 runs at a rate better than 4.5 an over in the team's two completed innings so far.

"What Ollie's showing us is super exciting for everyone in Australian cricket," Patterson said. "And Sam Konstas' first hit of the season (71 on Monday against WA) to go from India (with the Australia A tour) to the WACA, it's probably the most opposite conditions and he adjusted really well and we built a nice partnership together (of 112 runs).

"Joel Paris and Jhye Richardson are two of the best bowlers in domestic cricket and very skilful with the new ball so I think that goes even further to show the pressure that Ollie put back on them going at five-an-over there for the first hour.

"Sam also played his hand well … all our batters showed some nice signs."

Round 1

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	Drawn D	No results N/R	Deductions Ded.	Batting Bonus Bat	Bowling Bonus Bowl	Total points PTS
1 Western Australia Men WA	3	2	0	0	1	0	0	2.53	2.5	18.03
2 South Australia Men SA	3	1	2	0	0	0	0	1.42	2.4	9.82
3 Tasmanian Tigers Men TAS	2	1	0	0	1	0	0	0.86	1.9	9.76
4 NSW Men NSW	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	4.75	1.9	8.65
5 Queensland Bulls QLD	2	1	1	0	0	0	-1	1.45	2	8.45
6 Victoria Men VIC	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0.51	1.6	2.11

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

D: Drawn

N/R: No results

Ded.: Deductions

Bat: Batting Bonus

Bowl: Bowling Bonus

PTS: Total points