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Patterson converts in pursuit of tons

Batting prospect says the monkey is off his back after turning string of starts into triple figures, the latest a dazzling 157 not out against Sri Lanka

Mention the name Kurtis Patterson to anyone familiar with the talented NSW Blues middle-order batsman, and pretty quickly you're going to hear "conversion rate" brought up.

Patterson's inability to convert starts into hundreds has been the one blight on an otherwise highly impressive record. Here is a talented batsman, no doubt about that – you don't get to average 41 in first-class cricket without it – but a batsman who struggled to find a way to turn scores in the forties and fifties into centuries.

It is an argument not without merit. To recap: Patterson struck 157 on his Sheffield Shield debut in November 2011. In the 102 first-class innings he has played since then, he has scored five more centuries, and 26 fifties.

His conversion rate began to haunt him as he tried to find a way through. Was the barrier mental? Technical? He's tried many things.

It came to a head for him last summer, an impressive season that saw him top the NSW Blues run-scoring charts in the Shield with 672 runs in 19 innings at 37.33. Five fifties, zero hundreds.

"It was a big (issue) last year, I went too far and tried to change my game once I did get into the forties, fifties or sixties," Patterson admits.

His latest first-class ton came last November, in the NSW Blues' JLT Sheffield Shield match with Western Australia at Perth Stadium.

It was, he concedes, a major relief.

Young guns shine after shaky start in Hobart

"There's obviously been a bit of chat about that (his conversion rate) for the last little bit," he explains. "I feel like there was a big monkey off the back in Perth which was really nice.

"This year I've done a lot of work with my coaches, I need to give some credit to Beau Casson (the NSW Blues assistant coach and former Test spinner).

"Really this year it's been about maintaining my thoughts and what I've been doing to get to 40 or 50, and having a more relaxed nature when I am at the crease.

"The hundred came at Perth but I feel like it could have come in those early games because the mentality has been there that entire season, which has been nice."

The break in Shield cricket for the KFC BBL season has brought a period of competitive inactivity for Patterson. Biding his time in the nets waiting for an opportunity with the Sydney Thunder, he turned out for St George in NSW Premier Cricket.

Last weekend he struck 167 not out from 147 balls in a 50-over contest.

And on Thursday with the spotlight on a strong CA XI side brimful of Test hopefuls – including four batsmen vying for spots in next week's Test against Sri Lanka, of which Patterson was at this stage not one – he struck a brilliant 157 not out.

Then, he added another 102 not out in the second innings as again the Test contenders fell by the wayside.

While the tour match does not have first-class status, Patterson believes the monkey is gone. The floodgates could be about to open. Indeed, since that November century, he now has five hundreds while batting in whites – all of them unbeaten, with that Premier Cricket ton thrown in the middle for good measure. Some form line.

"To go out there and get a big hundred for my club side, and again today, I just feel like it's off the shoulders, that weight's not there," Patterson said in Hobart.

"I can go out there with some really good clarity and just play my game.

"Personally, I feel really hungry at the moment and I feel like I'm batting really well, so I guess those are the two things you want as a batter."

Overlooked for the Australia Test squad to play Sri Lanka, which was named last week, the 25-year-old denied there was any extra motivation to perform with national captain Tim Paine and national selector Greg Chappell in the stands in Hobart.

CA XI lose three early wickets

"Not really to be honest," he said. "I finished the Shield season (before the BBL break) feeling like I was batting quite well and obviously not playing cricket and four weeks to freshen up, if you will, I was just really keen to come out and play some cricket against a really good side on a beautiful wicket and a nice ground."

The Sri Lanka series may be out of reach but the Ashes is looming as Australia's next Test assignment in the winter.

And with plans for the best 22 available players to feature in an Australia v Australia A clash in the south of England next July, Patterson would be well within his rights to be thinking he'll be spending at least some part of his winter abroad.

But just as he's mastering his own clarity and thought processes, he's not allowing potential selection talk to derail him.

"For me it's just about staying in my own box and trying to score as many runs as possible," Patterson said.

"I'd love to get a win this game and go back to the Thunder or the Blues and do our best to win the Shield and whatever happens, happens from there.

"I'm just going to stay in my lane and keep trying to score big runs."

Domain Test Series v Sri Lanka

Australia: Tim Paine (c/wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Will Pucovski, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Kusal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha

CA XI: Joe Burns (c), Kurtis Patterson (vc), Scott Boland, Jake Doran (wk), Jon Holland, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Will Pucovski, Jason Sangha, Matt Renshaw, Chris Tremain

Jan 17-19: Tour match, CA XI v SL, Hobart (D/N)

Jan 24-28: First Test, Gabba (D/N)

Feb 1-5: Second Test, Canberra