Jack Edwards to lead Australia A against England Lions, Kurtis Patterson returns

Kurtis Patterson’s renaissance has been rewarded by the Australian selectors, who have put the former Test batter back in the mix to return to the national set-up.

A batsman dropped after a century in his last Test is back in favour with the national selectors but another batch of fringe-dwellers have remained on the outer.

Sydney’s Kurtis Patterson has made the Australia A squad to play the English Lions in a four-day tour match in Sydney later this month, but former Test openers Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw have been overlooked in what is a major blow to their chances of a recall.

Emerging stars such as Tasmania’s Tim Ward, who has three scores of 92 and above in his last four first class innings, West Australia’s Jayden Goodwin and Sydney’s Jack Edwards have also been included.

SECOND COMING OF KP: KURTIS PATTERSON’S CRICKET REDEMPTION

Elegant left-hander Patterson, who made 114 in his second and last Test against Sri Lanka and boasts a Test average of 144, has been recalled on the back of a rousing first half of the Sheffield Shield summer.

Kurtis Patterson is back in the national mix.

Jack Edwards will lead the Australia A side. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Patterson almost walked away from the game after a sorrowful form slump during the Covid era which saw him relieved of the NSW captaincy and dropped from the team.

Patterson said recently his form was so poor it was almost a relief to be dropped but he has rewired his game and rebounded strongly.

At age 31 he has time on his side to emerge as a Test batsman in the looming era of major change.

The appointment of the highly-rated Edwards as captain is interesting as Australia sorts through its leadership options for life beyond Pat Cummins.

Australia A SQUAD:

Jack Edwards (NSW) (c) Xavier Bartlett (QLD), Brendan Doggett (SA), Jordan Buckingham (SA), Jayden Goodwin (WA), Aaron Hardie (WA), Fergus O’Neill (VIC) Kurtis Patterson (NSW), Josh Philippe (NSW), Corey Rocchiccioli (WA) Will Sutherland (VIC) Tim Ward (TAS).

Originally published as Jack Edwards to lead Australia A against England Lions, Kurtis Patterson returns