Michael Neser breaks 95-year cricket record in extraordinary feat

Australian all-rounder Michael Neser has given Test selectors some evidence to consider ahead of the World Test Championship and Ashes series, smashing a 95-year-old record in English county cricket. The 33-year-old has been playing for Glamorgan in the County Championship, where he faced fellow Aussie Peter Handscomb's Leicestershire side last weekend.

Both players have been putting their best foot forward after missing out on the initial squad named for the WTC final against India. However it was Neser who stole the show on the weekend, despite falling agonisingly short of a maiden century.

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Neser and Chris Cooke combined for a mighty eighth-wicket stand worth 211 runs for Glamorgan, the highest partnership recorded at the position since 1928. Cooke finished with 132 and Neser 90, both eventually clean bowled by Leicestershire's Chris Wright. Additionally, Test star Marnus Labuschagne recorded 64 runs in his turn at the crease earlier.

He'd earlier taken two wickets for 98 runs, a well-rounded effort, albeit one somewhat overshadowed by teammate Timm van der Gugten's six wicket haul. Handscombe had contributed 95 for Leicestershire's total before being caught off Neser's bowling.

Speaking with BBC Sport Wales, Neser described his partnership with Cooke as a 'special' one, adding that he'd also managed a record-breaking feat in an earlier match.

"From the position we were in, it's a great result for us to be able to put the pressure back on them so it was a tough but rewarding day," Neser said. "We took it step by step, they were going really strong with the ball, and we just tried to bat time.

"It's brilliant to be part of a record, I've played two games here and records seem to be broken each time so it's special."

The Queenslander notched 11 boundaries before falling to a superb delivery from Wright that uprooted middle stump.

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A raft of Aussie Test hopefuls have been competing in England in a bid to earn selection for the Ashes. The upcoming series might have a little extra spice thrown in after England captain Ben Stokes suggested Australia's retention of the Ashes in 2020 didn't carry the same weight, due to it being played under COVID-19 restrictions.

Broad's comments come after England were comprehensively beaten in four of the five Tests in 2021-22, with only wet weather in Sydney saving them from a third series whitewash in 15 years. But regardless, Broad said the fact England had to endure a quarantine period and the teams spent part of the tour in a bubble meant it was not a true contest.

"Nothing was harsher than the last Ashes series,' Broad told England's Daily Mail. "But in my mind I don't class that as a real Ashes.

"The definition of Ashes cricket is elite sport with lots of passion and players at the top of their game. Nothing about that series was high-level performance because of the COVID restrictions.

"The training facilities, the travel, not being able to socialise. I've written it off as a void series."

Broad's comments are not the first complaints from the English camp about that series. There were suggestions before the tour began some players would withdraw if families were not granted exemptions to enter Australia.

England then grew frustrated by wet weather washing out almost all of their preparations, while then-coach Chris Silverwood was also unhappy with his quarantine conditions after he was one of several support staff to test positive to COVID-19 during the Boxing Day Test.

With AAP

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