Kurtis Patterson has been named New South Wales' Sheffield Shield captain, taking over permanently from Peter Nevill who held the role for three years. Pat Cummins will remain captain of the one-day side although it remains to be seen how much he is able to play for his state around international commitments. Patterson also led in his absence last season including to victory in the final against Western Australia. "Being appointed the full-time captain of the Blues' four-day team is something I am very honoured and very privileged to have been asked to do," Patterson said on Monday (July 26).
"I grew up idolising NSW cricket and have a strong love for NSW Cricket and the Blues so to be named captain is something I don't take lightly and am very excited about. I want NSW cricket to be in a better place when my term is done, whenever that may be and I know I am very lucky to captain such a talented group. Nev was a fantastic leader who has left us in great shape and I'm certainly looking forward to having him around in the team if I need to call on him."Under Nevill, NSW won the 2019-2020 Sheffield Shield title, being declared champions in an early finish to the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They finished second last season after having lost to Queensland in the final, similar to their 2018-19 campaign where they were beaten in the final by Victoria.Coach Phil Jaques had hinted at the change last week but believes Nevill's knowledge will remain vital for the team. Patterson, who played two Tests for Australia in the 2018-19 season, had a lean campaign with 362 runs at 21.29 and 102 of those came in one innings against South Australia. NSW will begin their season with the Marsh Cup in mid-September, while their opening round of the Sheffield Shield will be played against Victoria on September 29.
