“One brother gets sent off, the other scores. Amazing” opined Barry Davies as Francois Omam Biyik’s header put unfancied Cameroon ahead against holders Argentina in the opening match of the 1990 World Cup.
Not all siblings who share the international stage also end up enjoying success together. For every Steve and Mark Waugh or Bobby and Jack Charlton there is a Robin and Chris Smith or a Kamran and Umar Akmal (ok they’re both crap).
In the wake of James Pattinson taking a second successive five wicket haul in his second Test, it would seem that he and his brother Darren fall into the latter category.
As we documented in our One Cap Wonder Test XI, the elder sibling Darren was plucked from relative obscurity to represent England in the Headingley Test of 2008 against South Africa.
Darren didn’t actually bowl that badly, but the criticism the selectors received for picking him and the magnitude of the defeat that followed meant that he never got a second chance. Indeed, being essentially a fair dinkum Aussie, opprobrium was heaped on him by his countrymen for playing for the Poms and from English supporters because he was an Australian. We guess that’s what you call a no-win situation.
Younger brother James has fared much better and with Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins also both taking five wicket innings hauls in their debut Tests, it seems that Australia’s climb back off the floor from last winter’s Ashes shame could be quicker than anyone envisaged.
Bowling to a New Zealand batting line-up that is so brittle it may as well be diagnosed with collective osteoporosis has meant James Pattinson’s entry into Test cricket has been a fairly straightforward one, but it looks like he has enough about him to ask questions of India’s star-studded batting line-up in a few weeks time.
Brother Darren doubtless approves.
Where next?
1st Test: Australia vs New Zealand - New Zealand marks out of 10
1st Test: Australia vs New Zealand - Australia marks out of 10
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