Darren Pattinson.

Name: Darren Pattinson

Born: August 2, 1978, Grimsby.

Teams: England, Nottinghamshire, Victoria
Playing role: All-rounder
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm fast-medium

GRIMBSY-born cricketer Darren Pattinson burst on to the scene in the early stages of the 2008 LV Championship season with some devastating displays for Nottinghamshire.

Pattinson was born in Grimsby but emigrated to Australia with his family aged five.

The Pattinsons returned to North East Lincolnshire for six months while Darren was

a teenager and he used the time to make a name for himself playing for Cleethorpes Chichester Road.

Initially joining the Meggies’ junior teams, he made an instant impact and found himself playing a handful of games for the first team.

 After years of toiling away for Dandenong in Melbourne's club cricket, higher honours appeared to have eluded Pattinson.

However, Victoria plucked him seemingly from nowhere when a spate of injuries struck down their frontline fast bowlers in November 2006.

At 28, the uncontracted Pattinson made his Pura Cup, limited-overs and Twenty20 debuts and proved a steady and reliable new-ball option. His job as a roof-tiler took a backseat as he claimed 4 for 87 in his maiden first-class match against South Australia.

Despite impressing with his line and length and sometimes clocking more than 145kph, Pattinson missed out on a big haul in his first season but earned his initial state contract for 2007-08. He was only used twice in Pura Cup games in his second season as the strike bowlers returned and he picked up five wickets from four FR Cup matches.

Pattinson was signed by Nottinghamshire at the start of the 2008 season on a two-year contract.

In July 2008, he was named in England’s provisional ICC Challenge Trophy 30-man squad ahead of the September series in Pakistan.

Despite his strong Aussie accent and long-term commitment to a life Down Under, he is in fact eligible for England only.

Pattinson made his Test debut for England against South Africa in July 2008.

He performed creditably, with two for 95 in South Africa's at Headingley but England lost by 10 wickets.