Cricket

Kurtis Patterson's resurgence as a first-class cricketer continued on Friday as he notched up his third consecutive half-century for New South Wales, helping the Blues extend their dominance over South Australia in their Sheffield Shield clash.Patterson, who was dropped from NSW's Shield side for most of last summer and feared his career was over, has seized the opportunity presented by Australia A duties depleting the Blues' batting lineup. His 71 on day two at Karen Rolton Oval followed scores of 91 and 66 earlier this month.With NSW already in a strong position, Patterson's innings helped them post a formidable 394, giving them a first-innings lead of 284. South Australia, in response, stumbled to 53 for 3 at stumps, still needing 231 runs to avoid batting again.Patterson's innings was a patient one, with the two-time Test representative taking his time to settle in before unleashing his trademark cover drives. He eventually fell to Brendan Doggett, but not before giving NSW a solid foundation.Patterson was one of four NSW players to pass 50 against the previously undefeated South Australians. Nic Maddinson (69) set the tone on the opening evening, while Oliver Davies (56) and Matthew Gilkes (55) also made significant contributions.Davies, in particular, was impressive, using his feet to take on spinner Lloyd Pope and hitting him for a six and two fours in quick succession.Nathan McAndrew was the pick of the South Australian bowlers, taking 4 for 90, while Doggett claimed 3 for 90. However, no South Australian bowler could match the heroics of NSW veteran Jackson Bird, who took 7 for 46 in the first innings to set up the Blues' dominance.

New South Wales' Kurtis Patterson has cemented his return to the Sheffield Shield with a gritty performance that helped his side salvage a draw against Queensland.After being asked to follow-on with a 167-run deficit, Patterson's 66 and Ollie Davies' 88 guided New South Wales to 256 for 4 when the match was called off.Patterson, who was once concerned about his first-class career, has now played two crucial innings for the Blues. In the first innings, he scored 91, and in the second, he played a lone hand with 66.Davies also impressed for New South Wales, taking the game on late after being cautious early. His 88 included six boundaries, and he formed a 117-run partnership with Patterson that put Queensland's bowlers under pressure.Queensland had declared their first innings on 406 for 5, with Jack Lovell scoring an unbeaten 146. Bryce McDermott (87), Usman Khawaja (58), and Jimmy Hearne (58) also contributed to the total.The draw leaves both teams without a win from the opening three rounds of the Sheffield Shield, with two draws each. However, it was a personal victory for Patterson, who has shown that he still has plenty to offer at the first-class level.

Kurtis Patterson's resurgence and Jack Edwards' timely return propelled New South Wales to a respectable total of 239 against Queensland in their Sheffield Shield clash. Patterson, making his first appearance for NSW since being dropped last season, compiled his highest first-class score in two years, an impressive 91. Edwards, recovering from injury, contributed a valuable 88.NSW's innings got off to a shaky start as Queensland's quicks, led by 19-year-old Tom Straker, reduced them to 59 for 5. However, Patterson and Edwards steadied the ship with a crucial 135-run partnership. Patterson, who had been dropped as NSW captain last season, admitted that he needed to be dropped to rediscover his form."I probably haven't said it publicly but I think I needed to be dropped when I was last year because frankly, I wasn't batting well enough," Patterson said. "I'd be lying if I said that thought never crossed my mind, whether I'd get another go back here. But thankfully I've kind of ticked all the boxes with [grade club] St George and got my opportunity."Edwards, who missed the last round with a hamstring injury, played aggressively to regain momentum for NSW. He was unfortunate to be given out caught behind short of a century. Patterson also appeared unhappy with the decision that ended his innings.NSW lost four wickets for three runs at the end of their innings, but Queensland's openers, Usman Khawaja and Matt Renshaw, negotiated the new ball spells, including Josh Hazlewood's first of the season, to finish the day unbeaten.Queensland's attack, despite missing senior figures Michael Neser and Mark Steketee, performed admirably. Liam Guthrie, Straker, and Angus Lovell all took wickets.