Michael Neser claims county cricket hat-trick for Glamorgan as timely reminder to Ashes selectors

The Ashes selectors may already be rethinking their squad decisions after Michael Neser scored a masterful hat-trick in County cricket overnight.

Neser, who was the Sheffield Shield Player of the Year, was left out of the original 17-man squad for the first two Ashes Tests.

While the pace attack of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland would be difficult to break down, Neser made his late Ashes chance to do little harm with some magical swing bowling for Glamorgan against Yorkshire.

Chasing Yorkshire by 155 runs, Test batterDawid Malan was trapped lbw by Neser, who came in off the left-hander and bowled a reasonably straight ball.

Neser’s next victim was all-rounder George Hill, who outstretched his arms to Neser, who came back over right-hand point and consequently lost the top of his stumps as the ball moved dramatically The fifth stumping line sends bails flying.

Neser then saved his best for last when trial all-rounder Dom Bess followed Hill’s lead by trying to wickedly leave a swinging ball in which again cleared the off-stump and sent Neser’s Glamorgan team-mates into jubilation.

He became the 11th Glamorgan cricketer to take a hat-trick and the first since Robert Croft in 2010 to do so in the County Championship.

“Pretty stiff ball straight up,” Neser said of the delivery to Bess after the day’s play.

Neser finished the innings with 7-32 from eleven overs, bowling out Yorkshire for 106 as Gamorgan took a 196-run lead before rain halted play.

The performance may have left the selectors second-guessing their decision to include Boland in the initial Ashes squad ahead of the in-form Neser.

“It’s disappointing to be part of that team, but I have to look at the positives,” Neser told reporters.

“I’m playing cricket here and if I get called up I’ll be ready to go. Having matches under my belt is a lot more important than bowling in the nets and not playing games. From the team’s point of view, it’s probably best that I play games and be ready to go if the opportunity comes.

“It would be a special moment to be picked in the Ashes squad in the back half.”

In Sussex, Steve Smith joined India’s Cheteshwar Pujara in a raid for the county’s first hit of the season. He scored 30 runs before getting out in an extremely tight call.

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