Patterson Celebrates 100th Shield Game with Career-Best Century

Kurtis Patterson has achieved a career-best first-class score of 173 not out for New South Wales (NSW) against South Australia, marking his 100th Sheffield Shield appearance. His monumental innings included 14 boundaries and a six, coming from 302 balls.

NSW declared their second innings at 8-440, setting South Australia a challenging target of 446 runs to win. Patterson had contributed six runs in the first innings.

"Kurtis Patterson achieved a career-best first-class score of 173 not out... marking his 100th Sheffield Shield appearance."

Patterson Reflects on Milestone and Test Aspirations

Patterson expressed pride in reaching 100 Shield games, a milestone he did not anticipate. He last played Test cricket in 2018-19, where he scored an unbeaten 114 against Sri Lanka. However, he subsequently exited the squad upon the return of Steve Smith and David Warner. Recent strong performances for Australia A have seen him re-enter Test selection discussions.

Patterson's motivation notably includes returning to Test cricket, despite a previous low period where he nearly left the sport. He highlighted a significant shift in his focus towards finding enjoyment in the inherent challenges of the game.

"Patterson's motivation includes returning to Test cricket, despite a previous low period where he nearly left the sport."

NSW Sets Challenging Target

Supporting Patterson's epic innings, Liam Hatcher contributed with four sixes. Jack Edwards (61) and tailenders Tanveer Sangha (53) also scored crucial half-centuries for NSW. At the close of play, South Australia had reached 1-61 in their chase, with Mackenzie Harvey (21) and Nathan McSweeney (16) at the crease.

Elsewhere in the Sheffield Shield

In other Sheffield Shield matches across the country:

• Victoria required 92 runs with six wickets remaining to defeat Queensland at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Debutant Dylan Brasher was 54 not out, while Tom Straker took 3-16 for Queensland.
• Western Australia was 1-121, needing 224 runs to win against Tasmania. Cameron Bancroft scored 74 runs.