Michael Neser, the long-serving Queensland all-rounder, joined Glamorgan in 2021 having been scheduled to play for Surrey in 2020 but, owing to COVID-related travel restrictions, being unable to make his debut in county cricket.
Like Marnus Labuschagne, Michael was born in South Africa but moved from Pretoria to the Gold Coast in Australia when he was ten years old. He subsequently won junior honours with Queensland for whom he made his first-class and List A debut during 2010/11. Soon afterwards he also made his T20 debut for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash and some impressive performances, he also secured a place on the books on the Kings Xi Punjab in the Indian Premier League during 2013.
During 2014 Michael won selection for Australia A in their series against South Africa A and subsequently became one of the mainstays in the Queensland attack, developing an ability to move the ball both ways, besides being a handy lower-order batsman. His efforts with the ball during 2017/18 were a key feature behind Queensland winning the Sheffield Shield title, whilst his haul of 33 wickets in the red-ball competition the following summer led to his selection in the Australian party for the 2019 Ashes.
By this time, Michael had already had a taste of international cricket, having replaced Josh Hazlewood in the Australian squad in May 2018 for the one-day series against England. He duly made two appearances, at The Oval and later at Chester-le-Street.
Michael has continued to be a consistent performer in State cricket and, on three occasions, has been Queensland’s player of the season. He also marked the start of the 2020/21 season in Australia by scoring 121 – his maiden first-class century – as well as taking 5/32 at Park 25 in Adelaide as Queensland overwhelmed Tasmania by an innings and 59 runs, with Michael also becoming the first player since Mitchell Johnson in November 2010 to score a century and take a five-for in the same Shield match.
In December 2021 Michael made his long-awaited debut in Test cricket as he was called into the Australian team for the Second Test at Adelaide after Pat Cummins was forced to isolate for ten days after coming into contact, on the eve of the game, with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19.
December 2022 saw Michael make his second Test appearance, against the West Indies, again at Adelaide, and after another fine season in the Sheffield Sheiled, he was included in Australia’s extended party for the Ashes. Nevertheless, Michael was till able to honour his commitments with Glamorgan in 2023, with the all-rounder claiming a hat-trick in the match against Yorkshire at Headingley in addition to scoring centuries against Sussex at Hove and Leicestershire at Cardiff.
NESER, Michael Gertges
Born – Pretoria, 29 March 1990.
Best performances for Glamorgan:
In first-class cricket: 176* v Leicestershire at Sophia Gardens, 2023; 7/32 v Yorkshire at Headingley, 2023
In T20 cricket: 11 v Middlesex at Radlett, 2022; 3/13 v Essex at Sophia Gardens, 2022
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 50 | 100 | CT | |
| First-class cricket | 20 | 22 | 3 | 822 | 43.26 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| T20 cricket | 10 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 17.00 | – | – | 7 |
| Balls | M | R | W | AV | 5wI/10wM | |
| First-class cricket | 3663 | 120 | 1740 | 80 | 21.75 | 2/- |
| T20 cricket | 186 | 0 | 241 | 13 | 18.53 |