Neser’s pace kills the Blues
MICHAEL Neser has further cemented his status as the best Australian bowler yet to play a Test, with a commanding Sheffield Shield final performance for Queensland.
The Bulls are in control of the decider after just one day at Allan Border Field, dismissing NSW for a paltry 143.
In reply, the hosts were 1-58 at stumps, with Test star Marnus Labuschagne well set on 23 not out.
While NSW’s muchvaunted pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Sean Abbott and Trent Copeland failed to make decent inroads into Queensland’s batting order, the Bulls’ battery of fast bowlers delivered in spades after the Blues elected to bat first.
Neser was the chief destroyer, finishing with the superb figures of 5-27 off 13.2 overs.
He was well supported by all-rounder Jack Wildermuth, who took 4-21 off 16 overs and was at one stage on a hattrick.
At 31, Neser remains the unluckiest bowler in Australia not to have played a Test, such has been his form in recent seasons.
“This is the third time I’ve been in a final … it’s great exposure,” Neser said.
Neser, who overcame a back spasm at the end of the NSW innings, was pleased with the Bulls being asked to bowl first on a pitch providing an occasional puff of dust.
“Naturally you want to put a big total on the board and put them under pressure that way but that wicket looked a bit wetter than I thought it was going to be and had a bit of nibble to it,” he said.
Neser struck in just the fifth over, hitting the top of Matthew Gilkes’ off-stump after the left-handed opener elected not to play a shot.
Gilkes only made three, with his dismissal leaving the visitors at 1-9. It could have been 2-9 in the next over when Wildermuth drew an edge from the bat of opener Dan Hughes.
However, Queensland wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson couldn’t hold on to a tough low chance.
Wildermuth and Peirson eventually combined to dismiss Hughes for 19, but it was a close call, with video footage showing Wildermuth perilously close to a no-ball.
The Blues crawled to 2-54 off 29 overs at lunch before the Bulls grabbed full control of the match in the second session, with NSW losing 6-69 to be 8-123 at tea.
Neser then cleaned up the tail after tea, with his last scalp Hazlewood falling to spectacular diving catch from Labuschagne.
NSW coach Phil Jaques defended the choice of his captain Kurtis Patterson, who top-scored with 43, to bat.
“Obviously we would have like a few more runs but I thought it was a really tough pitch and it didn’t seem like any of the batters were really in on it at any stage,” Jaques said. “We gave them a couple of wickets, which was a little bit disappointing, but I think it still wasn’t a bad decision to bat first on that wicket.
“(Neser) had a decent day out and they bowled quite well.”