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Patterson ton a welcome addition to Ashes intrigue

2nd February, 2019
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2nd February, 2019
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Kurtis Patterson’s commanding first Test ton yesterday has added further intrigue to Australia’s preparations for the Ashes, with a host of fringe batsman now pressing their cases to play in England.

A day after Joe Burns (180) and Travis Head (161) made the strongest of claims to be in Australia’s starting XI for the Ashes, rookie Patterson made himself a frontrunner for a middle order berth in that series.

The 25-year-old was overlooked for Australia’s initial squad to play the current two-Test series against Sri Lanka but forced the hand of the selectors by piling up 157* and 102* against the tourists in their warm-up match.

Patterson was solid in making 30 on debut and then made the most of a first-ball dropped catch by cruising to a silky 114* yesterday as Australia declared on 5-534 on day two of the second Test in Canberra.

Although Sri Lanka’s attack is understrength, Patterson has looked every inch a Test batsman in this series. In both Tests he has had to negotiate the second new ball early in his innings, and has done so with relative ease.

Patterson’s years of batting first drop for NSW in the Sheffield Shield mean he is experienced and assured against a new ball. In this series, batting out of position at six, he has also shown an ability to start against spin in a calm and calculated manner.

Standing 192cm tall, Patterson makes full use of his height against slow bowlers by reaching a long way down the pitch to smother the spin. When spinners then look to pull back their length Patterson is quick to exploit this by getting deep in his crease.

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His method against spin is not overly dynamic or attractive but it is uncomplicated and looks sustainable. The way in which Patterson combats the tweakers reminds me of recently-retired England skipper Alastair Cook, another tall left hander who made the most of his height to successfully tame spinners.

The signs are good. The same could be said of Patterson’s assured play against pace. Again his height proves an advantage here because it means he need not get as big a stride towards the ball as shorter batsman, much like Cook or former Australian opener Matt Hayden, both of whom had relatively limited footwork.

Kurtis Patterson CA XI

Kurtis Patterson of Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Patterson’s off driving was a highlight of his knock yesterday. The square drive which brought him within one stroke of his hundred was as perfectly timed as any shot I’ve seen this summer.

Patterson does not attempt to bludgeon the ball, instead placing great trust in his timing. This is evident even when playing the hook and pull shot, two strokes which batsmen tend to execute with great vigour. Not Patterson, he plays them with a graceful arc of the bat, again using his height to hit down on the ball.

Sri Lanka clearly thought they could target him with the short ball and it took a clutch of Patterson boundaries yesterday before they ditched that plan.

In the end they appeared unsure of just where to bowl to him. At the top of off stump is the answer, similar to most other batsmen in the world. But the Sri Lankan quicks are very green and also perhaps lack the skill to consistently hit the right areas.

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England’s seamers will have no such problem. Should they make the cut – and I believe they deserve to – Patterson, Burns and Head will face far greater challenges in Australia’s next series in the UK. But, for now at least, Australia’s batting stocks are looking much healthier after a horror 12 months.

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