Fine start for Neser

MOST of the crowd at Derby arrived with high hopes of watching Steve Smith bat yesterday, but instead they were treated to a new-ball masterclass from Michael Neser in the Ashes tour game.

Australia’s stand-in skipper Usman Khawaja lost the toss and Derbyshire broke with recent tradition, opting to bat first in the three-day fixture.

It means Smith, playing his first game since sitting out day five of the second Test and all of the third Test because of concussion, will have to wait a little longer for his return to the crease.

Derbyshire reached 3-71 at lunch, with Neser claiming all three wickets to fall.

Khawaja also threw the ball to Marnus Labuschage, who delivered four overs of his legspin, before Smith bowled the final over of the morning session. Smith gave his warm-up delivery so much flight that it flew over mid-off Peter Siddle’s head and to the rope — and his first ball to Leus du Plooy was similarly full.

It came a day after the former captain faced a couple of local net bowlers in a low-key contest.

Coach Justin Langer urged the local trundlers to send down some bouncers and test Smith out but they lacked Jofra Archer’s venom and radar. Siddle and Mitchell Starc are both taking part in the Derby tune-up but it was Neser, the last man picked in the 17-man touring party, who impressed the most.

Neser struck with consecutive deliveries in his second over, removing captain Billy Godleman then first drop Anuj Dal for a golden duck.

Tim Paine, David Warner, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood have all been rested from the match.