Patterson makes early mark with ton, but record stand secures Tasmania victory

New South Wales batter Kurtis Patterson started his Ashes audition with a sterling century, but the Blues slipped to a two-wicket one-day loss to Tasmania after a record ninth-wicket stand between Bradley Hope and Matt Kuhnemann.

Patterson, watched by Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey, struck 110 from 125 balls in the NSW's 224 all out. Tasmania, with another Ashes hopeful Jake Weatherald making 28, were reeling at 124 for 8 in the opening game of the Dean Jones Trophy at Cricket Central in Sydney.

But Kuhnemann (56 not out from 71 balls) and Hope (49 not out from 91) produced a stunning unbroken 101-run stand for the ninth wicket to win with four balls to spare.

Patterson played two Tests for Australia in 2019 and boasts an average of 144 - he made 30 and 114 not out in his two knocks against Sri Lanka. The left hander was discarded when Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft had served their ball-tampering suspensions.

But Patterson returned to Test discussions with prolific run-scoring in the Sheffield Shield last season, compiling 743 runs at 57.15, although is still an outside chance at this stage. On Tuesday, the 32-year-old dominated NSW's innings - after his century the next-best was former captain Moises Henriques whose 41 from 51 balls featured two sixes. Patterson reached his second career one-day century from 113 deliveries. Tanveer Sangha was the only other NSW batter to reach double-figures.

Test allrounder Beau Webster took 3 for 41 and white-ball specialist Nathan Ellis 3 for 37.

Tasmania's run chase faltered early with Mitch Owen out for 9 and Webster chopping on for a golden duck - both dismissed by debutant paceman Ryan Hadley in the second over.

Sean Abbott, who was captaining NSW, then snared two quick wickets, including a wonderful delivery to take Mac Wright's off stump, to leave the Tasmanians 42 for 4 after seven overs.

Weatherald, who was recently put on the Test radar by selection chair Bailey, put on 54 with veteran Matthew Wade. But Weatherald's 51-ball innings ended when he smacked a short ball from spinner Ollie Davies straight to Hadley on the deep midwicket boundary.

Tasmania's hopes appeared over when Wade was caught and bowled by Sangha, with Ellis was soon dismissed to leave the visitors 124 for 8 in the 26th over.

But Kuhnemann and Hope produced their defining partnership, with the former edging through a vacant slips area for the winning boundary.