Patterson, who took two of the four wickets to fall as the visitors reached 203 after winning the toss, braved freezing temperatures to play on the Gorak Shep Glacier, some 17,000 metres above sea level, to help raise money for the players' union benevolent fund.

Patterson was part of a team of professional cricketers including Graham Napier, Mark Wagh, Nick Compton and Ryan Cummins who raised £40,000 for the players' charity.

It was just one of several globe-trotting exploits by the popular Patterson, who likes nothing better than to broaden his cultural horizons as well as his cricketing ones.

On a cold and inhospitable day at North Marine Road, where rain washed out proceedings at 3.00pm, it was perhaps no surprise that Patterson adapted best to the inclement weather on his way to 2-46 from 15 overs.

It was a highly impressive effort by the Hull-born 24-year-old, who has not let Yorkshire down on the 10 occasions he has represented them in first-class cricket, and who was playing in place of injured captain Darren Gough, who is resting ahead of Tuesday's Pro40 match against Warwickshire a t Headingley Carnegie as Yorkshire chase promotion from Division Two.

The irony, however, is that Patterson will take no further part in this County Championship game due to Tim Bresnan's return from England duty.

Bresnan was released from the England squad for the final one-day international against South Africa in Cardiff yesterday and set out on the gruelling 280-mile drive to Scarborough.

Regulations stipulate that counties can nominate a player to stand down to accommodate a returning England cricketer and Yorkshire chose Patterson prior to this match.

The club made use of the rule earlier in the season when Matthew Hoggard replaced Ben Sanderson during the game against Durham at Chester-le-Street, but, on yesterday's evidence, Bresnan's return is tough luck on Patterson, who out-bowled both Hoggard and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, his more celebrated team-mates, and who worried the Sussex top-order with his nagging line-and-length.

"It's a bit strange when you know you are only going to be playing for the day, but I just did the best I could and tried to
get on with it," said Patterson,
who claimed match figures of 8-101 in a second team fixture
last week against Sussex at Horsham.

"It's the first time that anything like this has ever happened to me but I knew the situation before I went out on the pitch and I just wanted to make the most of it; overall, I was pretty pleased with the way everything went."

Patterson claimed the first wicket to fall after Sussex had raced to 49-0 in confident style, having Michael Yardy caught behind in his second over, the 14th of the innings.

Deon Kruis was his usual miserly self, but Yorkshire struggled to make headway as Chris Nash and Andy Hodd accumulated runs in steady fashion.

Nash went to a fine half-century from 69 balls with nine fours as Sussex lunched happily on 106-1, but the batsman's hopes of reaching three-figures were dashed when he inexplicably clipped Hoggard to Michael Vaughan at short mid-wicket.

Nash's departure for 78, with the total on 150, ended a stand of 101 with Hodd, who reached his own 50 from 102 balls with five fours after surviving a couple of close shaves against Patterson.

Patterson it was who picked up the important wicket of Murray Goodwin, who misjudged a good one from the Trafalgar Square end that kissed his off-stump.

Just before the rain arrived, sending spectators scurrying for shelter from the exposed wooden benches, Adil Rashid got in on the act when he had Sussex captain Chris Adams caught at slip by Jacques Rudolph.

Rudolph's slip fielding is an often overlooked but hugely significant part of his all-round contribution; the South African has taken 19 catches in the Championship this season, the most of any Yorkshire out-fielder.