Hampshire have signed Michael Neser, the Australian seamer, for their first eight T20 Blast games of the season. He will also be available as cover for Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas for a handful of County Championship fixtures.
Nathan Ellis, Neser’s compatriot, has been a revelation for Hampshire over the past two seasons and spearheaded their attack during their title-winning run in 2022. But a clash with the T20 World Cup means he is unlikely to be available this summer, leading director of cricket Giles White to turn to Neser, who is not in Australia’s T20 plans.
“Nathan had a very positive impact on the team and we are confident that Michael will do the same,” White said. “He adds quality across the disciplines and formats – he also comes with an excellent reputation as a team-oriented player. He has good experience of English conditions and hopefully he can hit the ground running.”
Neser, who played for Glamorgan last year, took 12 wickets for Brisbane Heat as they won the Big Bash League earlier this month. He also contributed in the field, taking a series of spectacular catches in the deep, and with the bat, hitting a vital 64 not out in a win over Perth Scorchers to secure a home qualifying final.
“I am very excited to have joined Hampshire Hawks for this year’s Vitality Blast and can’t wait to join up with the squad,” Neser said. “Utilita Bowl [Hampshire’s home] looks to be an amazing place to play cricket and hopefully I can contribute to more success on the pitch.”
BBC Solent reported that Neser will be replaced by Afghanistan’s Naveen-ul-Haq for the second half of the Blast’s group stage, following the T20 World Cup.