In his native Australia, at Trent Bridge and around the world, Nottinghamshire's latest overseas signing James Pattinson has made his presence felt.
His 472 all-format wickets attest to the ability of the fast bowler who burst onto the scene with five-wicket hauls in his first two Test matches in 2011, and his return in the green and gold during successful spells at the club in 2017 and 2019 was no less impressive.
Now, having announced his retirement from international cricket in October 2021 with 81 Test wickets and four five-wicket hauls to his name, Pattinson is set to take to the English stage once more.
Pattinson’s first season at Nottingham came five years after his brother, Darren, last graced the Trent Bridge turf in 2012. If James’ first year in county cricket got close to matching his older brother’s return in 2008 - 49 wickets at 25.61 - it could have been considered fruitful.
As it transpired, the then 27-year-old contributed heavily to a year of remarkable success for Nottinghamshire, with promotion to Division One and both white-ball trophies secured.
In the County Championship, Pattinson claimed 32 wickets at an average of 12.06, including two-five wicket hauls, making the Melbourne-born paceman an immensely popular figure with supporters and teammates alike.
His return in the Royal London One-Day Cup was equally imposing, 13 wickets, an economy rate of 5.59, and the winning runs at Lord's as the Outlaws secured their first trophy of the summer.
In 2019, Pattinson followed up his sensational first foray into the county scene with a sustained period of form on his second visit – one which earned the Victorian a place in the Australia squad for their tour of England.
In three First-Class matches for Notts he collected a further eight wickets, before taking seven for Australia A against Sussex, and five in two matches in the Ashes, finishing the series with the lowest economy rate of any of Australia’s frontline bowlers.
He shone once again with the white ball with 11 wickets, too, as Nottinghamshire galloped through the group stages of the Royal London One-Day Cup with six wins from their seven completed games.
As he heads into his 15th year in professional cricket, Pattinson is yet to make his Vitality Blast debut but, with 61 wickets in the format and franchise experience in the Indian Premier League, he adds to the wealth of fast bowling talent at Peter Moores’ disposal.
No fewer than 200 all-format appearances have served to supply the 31-year-old with invaluable bowling experience at the elite end.
With the bat, Pattinson's 21.92 First-Class average and 2241 all-format runs prove he is a capable lower order contributor, too, with a top score of 89* for Nottinghamshire against Midlands neighbours Leicestershire.
His arrival in the East Midlands supplements the return of Dane Paterson and the unwavering commitment of Stuart Broad, Luke Fletcher, Brett Hutton, Jake Ball and Zak Chappell, to name a few, as Nottinghamshire’s fast bowling contingent gear up for the 2022 season targeting triumphs reminiscent of Pattinson’s first visit.
Most notably, though, as Nottinghamshire seek an immediate return to Division One, his red-ball average of 16.16 at Trent Bridge may just prove crucial.
*******
Nottinghamshire membership for the 2022 season is on sale now, with those who join our club bestowed access to all scheduled home domestic cricket alongside a plethora of additional perks.
