Patterson, who played the last of his two Tests in 2019, starred with an unbeaten 126 as Australia A went to stumps on day one of their clash with the England Lions at Cricket Central in Sydney on 3-262.
Facing Test players Shoaib Bashir and Josh Tongue, Patterson arrived at the crease in the first over on Thursday after opener Tim Ward fell for a duck.
Patterson will resume batting on Friday in the four-day match with Josh Philippe (54no).
Opener Jayden Goodwin (70) combined with Patterson for a 177-run second-wicket stand after Ward's early dismissal.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for 31-year-old Patterson, who began the summer playing grade cricket for St George after a concerning form decline cost him the NSW captaincy.
Admitting in November he deserved to be dropped, Patterson has responded in the best possible way for NSW, and now Australia A.
He has a Test average of 144, after hitting a century against Sri Lanka in Canberra in 2019.
But Patterson was a victim of circumstances, not needed on Australia's Ashes tour that year after Steve Smith and David Warner returned from their Sandpapergate bans.
Australia A opted to go for a bowler-heavy XI on Thursday, with Queensland quick Xavier Bartlett due to come in at No.7 after Victorian allrounder Will Sutherland.
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