Neser savours dream Boxing Day debut on nightmare pitch for batters

After a four-wicket haul in front of a record Melbourne Cricket Ground and Australia’s top score on a tough pitch, little wonder Michael Neser found day one of his maiden Boxing Day test a dream come true.

The recalled seamer was dropped for the series-deciding third Ashes test in Adelaide but was back in action on Friday in front of a whopping crowd of 94,199 that saw 20 wickets tumble on a manic day one.

Neser scored a vital 35 as Australia were skittled for 152 in the first innings, then took 4-45 to help roll England for 110, giving Australia a 42-run lead.

Nightwatchman Scott Boland then added four runs for Australia in one nervous over as the hosts went to stumps at four for no loss in their second innings.

Neser has spent most of his career on the fringes of Australia’s world class fast bowling unit but has filled his boots this Ashes.

“It’s unreal. I dreamt of this as a kid,” the South Africa-born 35-year-old told reporters.

“Every Boxing Day I’d wake up early and me and my brother would play backyard cricket for hours, and come back in and watch cricket.

“The whole day was just cricket for us. To be part of it is a dream come true.

“It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.”

Former England players and pundits bemoaned the grassy pitch as too much in the bowlers’ favour, with former captain Michael Vaughan labelling it a “shocker”.

Neser, however, was not complaining about it nor expecting that it would remain a handful for the batters on subsequent days.

“I don’t want to go into this tomorrow with a preconception that the wicket is going to be doing a lot, because it can (harden) and we just have to stick to our processes,” he said.

England seamer Josh Tongue took a career-best 5-45 to help bowl Australia out cheaply but England’s strong position was erased as their batters collapsed to be all out in 29.5 overs.

Trailing 3-0 in the five-test series, England have repeatedly handed back the initiative to Australia throughout this Ashes.

Tongue, however, could find little fault with England’s abortive attempts to attack Australia’s bowlers on a day when defending against them may have been fruitless on such a pitch.

Tongue said there was no “big chat” in the England dressing room about how to bat on the wicket after Australia were bowled out.

“I feel like we want to put pressure back onto the opposition so whoever walks out into the middle thinks it’s the right time to shift a gear or put them under pressure (will).

“Knowing where your scoring options are is obviously crucial on this sort of wicket when the ball is doing a bit more.”