Neser caps top year with Bulls honour

WHEN he finds anyone who can sell him a home gym, paceman Michael Neser is going to turn his cancelled county stint with Surrey into hard months of body work to finally win a Test cap.

The Gold Coaster’s canny bowling is largely unsung everywhere but Queensland where he was yesterday named winner of the Ian Healy Trophy as the Bulls Player of the Year for the third time.

His 33 wickets in just six Sheffield Shield games, with regular nicks into the slips, were indicative of a bowler doing everything possible to stay in pole position with the Australian selectors as a backup Test paceman.

“I’ve forgotten how many times I’ve been 12th man, maybe 10 or 11, but I know the pecking order because Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are just killing it,” Neser said.

“I see the cherry (of Test selection) and just can’t get it and I use that as fuel to keep driving me.”

He sees the silver lining to the Surrey contract dissolving while the world grapples with the coronavirus scourge.

“With this break, I see it as a chance to improve physically because 100 per cent the reason I started to play better was staying on the park and playing more cricket,” Neser said.

He had hoped to have a home gym sorted by now to start work on strengthening his hamstrings and general body twinges.

“(Keeper) Jimmy Peirson and I were looking into home gym options but everything is sold out so it’s plenty of hill runs for me,” Neser said.

Fast bowler Sammy-Jo Johnson was named Queensland Fire Player of the Year for the second time, while T20 World Cup champion Jess Jonassen was named the Heat’s Most Valuable Player during the winning WBBL campaign for most wickets (21) and second most runs (419) for the club.