St George duo Trent Copeland and Kurtis Patterson to miss day two of local derby against Sutherland

The day-night match, which starts in Perth on Sunday, will see the experimental pink ball used again. 

‘‘This will be my first pink ball Shield game this season as I didn’t play in the first game for NSW against South Australia in Adelaide,’’ Patterson said.

Patterson spoke to The Leader from Sydney Airport on Thursday before he and Copeland boarded a plane for Perth.

Patterson said he had played in games with the pink ball last season.

‘‘I found it okay when batting to pick up the line of the ball,’’ he said.

For this weekend’s round of shield games new black stitching has been added to the pink ball by the manufacturers.

Patterson said NSW are keen to win the return match against WA at the WACA after playing them in a historic Sheffield Shield game in New Zealand last week.

Patterson made 75 and top scored in NSW’s first innings of 402 before WA made 491.

Test batsman Adam Voges hammered a century but he won’t be playing as he will play for Australia in the Test match against New Zealand in Wellington.

NSW lost the Christchurch game on first innings and were 5-155 in their second innings.

Patterson made 21.

‘‘It was a good experience to play in another city and in another country,’’ Patterson said.

‘‘It was a pretty flat wicket in Christchurch as both teams made 400-plus in their first innings.’’

Perth is in the midst of a heat wave with the temperatures soaring above the 40 degree mark the last week.

‘‘I have played twice before at the WACA, in a Shield game and in the Big Bash League,’’ Patterson said.

Copeland, who made a return to the NSW team for the first time since March 2014, took 3-110 from 36 overs in WA’s first innings in New Zealand.

Former Sutherland batsman Nic Maddinson is captain of the Blues team which need to win to play in the Shield final.

NSW are fourth on 26.37 points with WA fifth on 23.69 points.