Gillespie’s praise for unsung Yorkshire hero Patterson

JASON GILLESPIE has hailed pace bowler Steve Patterson’s contribution to Yorkshire’s pursuit of the County Championship title.
Yorkshire head coach Jason GillespieYorkshire head coach Jason Gillespie
Yorkshire head coach Jason Gillespie

The county’s first-team coach said Patterson had produced some key performances to help the club stay in contention for silverware.

Patterson, 30, has always been something of an unsung hero but he has taken 30 wickets in 12 games at 27.06 to support the work of such as Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom.

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“Patto is a very important member of our bowling attack,” stressed Gillespie. “He doesn’t go for a heap of runs, he’s a bit unfashionable, a bit ungainly, but he gets the job done and he’s been doing it now for many years for Yorkshire.

“He basically follows the old-fashioned disciplines of line and length. He pitches the ball up and does just enough with it to cause problems.”

Patterson made a vital double breakthrough on the final day of the Championship match against Sussex at Scarborough.

He struck just before and just after lunch as Yorkshire chased wickets on the final day, the home team eventually winning by nine wickets to extend to six points their lead over Nottinghamshire at the top of the table.

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“Patto got a couple of important breakthroughs on day four of our previous Championship match at Scarborough, against Middlesex, and cracked it wide open for us,” said Gillespie.

“What he did against Sussex was almost a carbon copy. The spell he bowled either side of lunch was superb, and he consistently bowls a good full length.

“Patto and Siddy (Ryan Sidebottom) probably get that as consistently right as anyone; the stats show they get the ball on that fuller length as often as anyone in the country.”

As Gillespie’s men prepare for tomorrow’s final group game in the Royal London Cup against Hampshire at Southampton, where a win would earn Yorkshire a home quarter-final, the club have announced ticket prices for next summer’s Headingley Test against New Zealand.

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Tickets for the fixture, starting on May 29, go on sale today, with a £5 discount on each adult ticket for the first three days if bought before October 31.

“We believe our pricing policy for Test matches is the best value in the country,” said Yorkshire chief executive Mark Arthur.

“The region’s support will be vital in helping us achieve our long-term ambition of establishing our home as a venue of choice for the ECB.”

Full pricing details at www.yorkshireccc.com/testmatch.