AUSTRALIAN fast bowler James Pattinson plans to be back bowling next weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Whether that is in Ballarat or not, remains to be determined.
Pattinson says a Melbourne Renegades practice match in Ballarat next weekend could be a great option to ease him back into bowling, without too much pressure, in his continued comeback from a back injury. But the Renegades is an option he will consider later in the week.
Pattinson is in town today, only batting, with home club Dandenong in Victorian Premier Cricket "bush bash" - a triple-header Twenty20 fixture with St Kilda and Greenvale Kangaroos at Eastern Oval.
It is his second week back in match play after three months sidelined with a stress fracture in his lower back.
He can hardly wait to officially pick up the ball again.
"It's good to be back among the boys playing cricket," Pattinson said.
"Everything's going along well and I've been back bowling well the past couple of weeks in training.
"...I'd like to be back bowling but it's good to be playing with Dandenong, where I played a lot of my cricket when I was younger.
"Now I can help some young bowlers and we've got some good young bowlers."
Pattinson will travel to a high performance centre in Brisbane with fellow quicks Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc this week for training and biomechanic assessment on their bowling action.
All three will also spend some time with the Australian team in Perth as support for the third Test.
Pattinson said Australia's strong form this Ashes series makes him even more driven to rejoin the Test team.