At 18 years and 206 days, Kurtis Patterson became the youngest batsman to score a century on Sheffield Shield debut for New South Wales when he hit 157 against Western Australia in November 2011. However, it was not until nearly two years later that he played his second first-class match, and his breakthrough season came in 2015-16 when he piled up 737 runs, including two centuries, to be the leading Shield run scorer for New South Wales and sixth on the overall tally.

The elegant, tall left-hander from St George Cricket Club then took another three years to go from player of immense promise to earning a baggy green. He made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in January 2019 in unusual circumstances. He was not initially picked in the Test squad but was added after making centuries in both innings for the Cricket Australia XI in the only tour match against Sri Lanka in Hobart. Those innings had followed a superb Shield century against Western Australia on a spicy Perth Stadium pitch in December. He was selected for his debut in Brisbane and justified the selectors faith making an unbeaten century in the second Test in Canberra.
ESPNcricinfo staff