The Victorian, who will now join up with the Australia A side on their tour of the UK, recorded his best figures since 2012 after taking 6-73 against Kent in Notts’ 285-run defeat at Tunbridge Wells this week.

[caption id=”attachment_110529″ align=”alignnone” width=”800″] Pattinson’s best performance for Notts came when he took 6-73 against Kent[/caption]

He believes his stint at Trent Bridge has given him the best platform to prove his fitness to the selectors. “The Ashes is definitely a goal and it’s getting closer – a month and a half and we’ll be into it,” he told the club’s website. “The body is good and that was the main worry coming over this time.”

Pattinson acknowledges he faces a tough battle to dislodge Australia’s tried-and-tested seam combination of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins but said the warm-up tour provides the perfect opportunity to stake a claim.

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“It’s a pretty strong squad, so a lot of the boys are looking forward to it. I’ve been in contact with a few of them and we’ll all get stuck in. Everyone will be putting their case forward for a place in the Ashes.”

The paceman was quick to shrug off any injury concerns after a nightmare few years on the sidelines with back problems. “It’s (back) held up with the amount of cricket I’ve had (with Notts) and now I’m ready for the A tour.”