Pattinson Hopes for Another Chance Further Down the Track

Darren Pattinson, who in the space of four days has been transformed from humble county seamer to international cause célèbre, has said he expects to be dropped by England for next week's third Test against South Africa at Edgbaston but has not given up hope of adding to the cap presented to him in controversial circumstances at Headingley on Friday.

"I've got things I need to learn about the game and I know my next chance might not come straight away," he said after taking two for 96 during the 10-wicket defeat in the second Test. "But I'd like to think I can be involved again further down the track. It's happened a few times in my career when I've been picked out of nowhere, and at the moment I feel anything is possible."

Pattinson has found himself thrust unwillingly into the limelight following his summons from obscurity, but the management have gone out of their way to assure him the media uproar over his inclusion after only 11 first-class matches for Victoria and Nottinghamshire is nothing personal. Instead, it is the selectors who have borne the brunt.

"It was a bit tough walking into the dressing room for the first time," he said. "But the guys welcomed me with open arms. It's been a big week for me, and I was nervous at first. But I relaxed as it wore on and in the end it turned out OK.

"The first wicket was a bit lucky because the replays showed that it might have just missed the stumps. But I got the ball to move a bit and had Ashwell Prince caught behind."

The Grimsby-born Pattinson stressed his British passport made him a resident only in Australia, and said there was never a question of divided loyalties had the country of his upbringing shown interest too. But the likely return from injury of Ryan Sidebottom will render such questions irrelevant, and yesterday Peter Moores was busy defending the three other seamers who represented England at Headingley after concerns they lacked the firepower of their South African counterparts.

England have taken just 13 wickets in two innings spread across the equivalent of almost four days, but the coach insisted his bowlers could match the tourists for speed. "There's a lot of talk about pace," he said, "but Andrew Flintoff at his best bowls at 90mph, Jimmy Anderson bowls close to 90mph and Stuart Broad bowls at 85-86mph or so, but he is still young and developing. So when Fred is in that attack there is pace about.

"Makhaya Ntini is probably only bowling at Broady's pace and Dale Steyn is their quick one, but his average speed won't be dissimilar to Jimmy's - maybe a little bit quicker. Then Fred and Morne Morkel bowl at a similar speed."

Moores' comments will do little to ease worries that England risk being out gunned once more at Edgbaston, where defeat would condemn them to their first series loss at home to South Africa in 43 years. But the Pattinson debate has forced the coach on to the back foot amid calls for the return to the side of either Simon Jones or Steve Harmison, both capable of regularly clocking 90mph.

Moores said yesterday it would be "foolish" to call time on the international careers of Harmison and Matthew Hoggard, who both expressed their disappointment after being leapfrogged by Pattinson for the second Test. But when he was asked whether new personnel was necessary for Edgbaston, he replied: "No, not really, but I think the team will change because I think Ryan Sidebottom will be fit."