Pattinson to make cricket comeback

The humble surrounds of Shepley Oval on the outskirts of Melbourne will be the unlikely setting as James Pattinson begins his latest quest to force his way back into Australia's Test team.

The 26-year-old will turn out for Victorian Premier Cricket side Dandenong against Prahran today, his first competitive match since last season having been laid low by serious shin and back injuries.

The fiery right-armer, who played four of Australia's eight Test matches at home and in New Zealand last summer, has had a horror run of luck on the injury front having previously been crippled by back and hamstring issues.

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Saturday's match will be his first competitive hit out since the second Test against NZ in Christchurch in late February, but Cricket Victoria says the paceman's workload will be "strictly modified".

"James Pattinson is still recovering from his back injury," a Cricket Victoria spokesman said. 

"He has continued to make progress and is available to make a limited return to Premier Cricket this weekend.

"James is available on a strictly modified workload in both batting and bowling for the match.

"The intensity of his output will be monitored to ensure he balances his match exposure with his rehabilitation progress."

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Pattinson made his Test debut at the start of the 2011-12 season, playing his first match alongside fellow quick Mitchell Starc and opener David Warner.

While Warner (55 Tests) and Starc (29) are now mainstays of the Australian side, Pattinson's injury troubles have restricted him to just 17 Tests and 15 one-day internationals.

Speaking last month, Pattinson said he was hopeful of making his return to top-level cricket for the Melbourne Renegades in the KFC Big Bash League and possibly for Australia in white-ball cricket.

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But he conceded a return to the Test side might have to wait.

"If not Shield, then I'll definitely be right to go for the start of the Big Bash," he said.

"I haven't ruled out international cricket this summer.

"Tests are probably off the cards but definitely one-dayers I'm open to if I'm bowling well enough and they want to play me."

With a 10-day gap between Sheffield Shield fixtures, several of the country's biggest names will return to club cricket this weekend.

The next round of Shield matches get underway on Thursday with Victoria to take on NSW in Sydney, Queensland to host South Australia at the Gabba and Tasmania travelling to Perth to face Western Australia.