County stint gives Pattinson an Edgbaston preview

Paceman James Pattinson is expecting England's batsmen to come hard at Australia's powerful bowling attack despite being humbled by Test newcomers Ireland at Lord's this week. 

England were rolled for just 85 before lunch on Wednesday while Australia's best first-class players were not faring much better in Southampton, where 32 wickets fell across the opening two days of their intra-squad clash.

The Ashes hosts were undone by the swing and seam of Ireland's inexperienced international seam attack but bounced back emphatically to bulldoze their opponents for 38 in the fourth innings – the lowest total ever at Lord's – to win the one-off Test by 143 runs.  

Pattinson says World Cup fatigue could be to blame for England's lapse on that first morning in St John's Wood and he does not expect history to repeat in the first Ashes Test in Birmingham, which gets underway on Thursday.

"I suppose it's hard for them coming in from such a high in the World Cup to play a Test match against Ireland six days later," Pattinson said.  

"It's quite tough and that's what the international schedule throws at you now.  

"I wouldn't read too much into that. They're likely to come out and bat well (at Edgbaston) and we're expecting that.

"As a bowling group we're expecting them to be at the top of their game and that's the best way to treat it.  

"We've got to bowl at the top of our game to challenge their batters and if we do that I think we're a chance." 

It's unclear what the Edgbaston curators are going to produce for the first Test, but Pattinson played out a draw for Nottinghamshire against Warwickshire last month, finishing with figures of 0-64 from 26 overs.

The 29-year-old said the surface he encountered was quite flat and dry with an average run rate across the four days sitting around 2.67 runs per over. 

But Pattinson said the slow bowlers could play a part in Birmingham if the pitch maintains its recent characteristics, perhaps paving the way for batsman/leg-spinner Marnus Labuschagne to partner veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon in the XI. 

Former New Zealand international and Warwickshire off-spinner Jeetan Patel has dominated at Edgbaston this summer, taking 22 wickets in his past two first-class matches at his home venue.

Image Id: B060FED14C544C74B26584930B4FA72D Image Caption: Spinner Jeetan Patel has dominated at Edgbaston this year // Getty

Patel claimed 6-16 and 4-72 when Pattinson visited with Nottinghamshire after taking 4-53 and 8-36 in 31 overs opening the bowling against Surrey the week before. 

Australia opted for only one specialist spinner in their Ashes squad – Lyon – but Pattinson is wary about what type of pitch the England camp might request for the Ashes opener. 

"I think they (Warwickshire) have had some good success there with spinners this year," Pattinson told cricket.com.au.

"It will be interesting to see if it's like that.  

"Traditionally it does offer a little bit of seam for the bowlers and some runs for the batters so I think it can be a good wicket, It's just what they want it to be, I suppose." 

Whichever way the Birmingham pitch turns out, Pattinson knows what the mission is for Australia's bowling attack and the challenging task ahead of them.

"They’ve got some quality batters and you've got to go into the game thinking you've got to bowl 45 overs," he said.

"It's going to be a hard grind and you've got to be bowling the same areas if the wicket is flat. And if the wicket is doing a bit, you've still got to put the ball in the same area.

"Sometimes the outcome is different, but I think mentally it doesn't change.  

"You've got the same thought process; that it's going to be a grind, a process, because that's what Test cricket is." 

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

First Test: August 1-5,Edgbaston

Tour match: Australians v Worcestershire, August 7-9

Second Test: August 14-18,Lord's

Third Test: August 22-26, Headingley

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: September 4-8, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval