Pattinson locks in county return

Nottinghamshire have confirmed the return of Victorian firebrand James Pattinson to give him the perfect platform of county cricket to push for a possible return to Test cricket in the Ashes.

Pattinson has been cleared to join Notts by Cricket Australia's medical staff and he will play up to seven first-class matches and be available for the entirety of the one-day tournament.

It is unclear at present if the Australia A tour that will run concurrent with World Cup tournament and serve as build-up for the Ashes series will impact on Pattinson's availability. But it may be judged that he would be better served playing competitive Division One cricket rather than Australia A matches.

Pattinson will play in Victoria's bid to win another JLT Sheffield Shield title at Junction Oval next week against an opponent yet to be determined before enjoying a short respite. He will link up with Notts for their first appearance against Lancashire at Trent Bridge on April 19.

"I loved my time with Nottinghamshire in 2017. It will be great to join up with the lads again," said Pattinson of a stint that saw him take 32 wickets in five first-class matches, while adding 197 runs at an average of 49.

"I have special memories of my time with the club and the opportunity to call Trent Bridge my home is something I really value.

"I'm excited to get back on the field and helping the team chase a couple of titles."

Pattinson could expect to take the new ball for Notts along with England seamer Stuart Broad.

Pattinson, who claimed 3-52 against South Australia in their ongoing Shield game in Adelaide, said he was keen to get a solid block of cricket before the Ashes campaign.

"But it's good just to string some games together.

"I've only played two (Shield) games, so it's just about getting some games under my belt now and the more I play the better my rhythm will get.

"I feel like I'm finding it (rhythm) a bit quicker than I have in the past probably because I played a bit before Christmas and a bit of the Big Bash as well.

"So it's just about playing as much cricket as I can leading up to my goal which is trying to picked on the Ashes."

Having recovered from his most recent round of back surgery, and then the side strain that prematurely ended his KFC Big Bash League campaign with the Brisbane Heat, Pattinson is no longer bound by restrictions on the number of overs he bowls each game.

However, with Victoria playing four quicks plus spinner Jon Holland in this current match, to ensure all their bowlers are spared heavy workloads before the final, it's unlikely Pattinson will be required to deliver lengthy spells in SA's second innings.

Victoria also opted to rest their leading wicket-taker for the Shield season, Scott Boland, from the current Shield game to ensure they enter the final with a fit and firing attack, of which Pattinson is now a key part.

Pattinson is then looking forward to rolling into the county season that begins with a series of one-day fixtures before the four-day county competition gets underway.

"I've missed a lot of cricket so the easy thing to do would be sit down and have another pre-season," Pattinson said of his winter plans.

"But I've had plenty of those so I need to play some cricket.

"I've only played two games here, so it looks like I might go there (to Notts) and play a bit and then hopefully get on that A-tour."

By which time he hopes to have convinced selectors he'll be a potent force in the Ashes quest.