Pattinson settles into county life

	Darren Pattinson collects one of his eight wickets during Nottinghamshire's 10-wicket win against Kent © Getty Images

Darren Pattinson, the English-born Victoria fast bowler, is quickly making himself feel at home at Nottinghamshire after taking five wickets on his debut last week against Kent. His 5 for 22, and eight wickets in the match, set up a 10-wicket win and supported David Hussey's claims that he would enjoy life in the county game.

Hussey is Pattinson's team-mate at Victoria and will again join forces with him once his IPL and Australian commitments are finished in July. He recommended Pattinson to Mick Newell, the Nottinghamshire coach, as an option to help fill the hole that will be left when Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad join up with England.

Nottinghamshire have had their eye on Pattinson for a while, but the last time he tried to impress his stint with the county ended early. "Last season I came over and trained and played a second team game. Well, sort of; I bowled one over and my ankle went," he told the Nottingham Evening Post. "I did not play the first half of the [Australian] season because I had a couple of ankle operations.

"Once I got back after Christmas I did fairly well for Victoria. I got straight back into it, bowled quite well and played four or five one-day games and a couple of four-day games. So it gave me the opportunity to come here again."

Pattinson isn't entering county cricket with any preconceived ideas, but on the evidence of his first match he will continue the trend of Australian bowlers being valuable signings. "I just want to do as well as I can," he said. "I do not want to come here and not be pulling my weight. I want to take some wickets.

"I have played a few seasons in club cricket up in Yorkshire, but not county cricket before. I do not really know what to expect, so the first few games I am going to get into it, get stuck in, and see what happens."