With Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne bolstering their batting line-up, Michael Neser's return could give a vital edge with the ball to keep the Heat's season alive
Neser's cool head set to boost young Heat's finals hopes
A touch of experience from Michael Neser to aid the Brisbane Heat's young bowling brigade might just be the extra ingredient they need to lock in a place in BBL|15 finals.
Fresh off the back of his successful Ashes campaign which netted 15 wickets across three Tests and a maiden five-wicket haul at the Gabba to boot, Neser rejoins the Heat for their two must-win matches to keep finals on the cards.
With injury forcing Pakistani international Shaheen Shah Afridi out of the tournament, it's been left to the likes of Xavier Bartlett and first-year Big Bash players Tom Balkin and Oli Patterson to shoulder the bulk of pace responsibilities.
All three have had their standout moments from the season to-date. Bartlett has skippered the side after injury befell stand-in skipper Nathan McSweeney and has impressed with both bat and ball in crucial moments, while Balkin's composure stood tall as his final-over thriller against the Strikers handed his side a thrilling win.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Patterson — although omitted from Wednesday's squad — put his stamp on the competition with the coveted wicket of Babar Azam in Coffs Harbour.
Now with Neser in tow, a wise head amid a youthful pace attack could prove pivotal as the Heat look to tick off the first of two season-shaping clashes against the top-of-the-table Hurricanes.
"I'm actually looking forward to working with the younger guys. So far from what I've seen, they've done really well," Neser said prior to the Heat's flight to Hobart.
"They look really calm as well for such a young bowling attack, which is a great sign.
"I remember younger years playing with Xavier and he's always been quite mature for his age. To see him lead the Heat is special.
"He's always been one of the leaders in the team, so it's no surprise he took that position. His last 24 months in white ball cricket has been amazing."
Bartlett in particular has been a standout across BBL|15, with his impressive white-ball form rewarded with a place in Australia's T20 World Cup squad.
The measured 27-year-old has nabbed 10 wickets across his eight matches, and played a match-winning hand with the bat (21 not out) against the Melbourne Stars as Max Bryant teed off to realise a stunning triumph against the odds.
With a jam-packed Test calendar ahead, Neser says Bartlett would be ready to seize his opportunity with the red ball if given the nod.
"I know if Xavier (Bartlett) does get given a go, he'll do superbly. He's bowling great," Neser said.
"That's the thing with Australian cricket, we've got so many options and so many players to pick from. It's why we've been such a strong nation for so long."
After four years out of the Australian Test set-up, compounded by an unfortunate hamstring injury in 2024, Neser found his way back for the 2025/26 Ashes as injuries struck down Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon.
With 21 Tests taking place between now and August 2026, Neser sees no reason why he and a host of other seamers behind the big three of Cummins, Hazlewood and the immensely durable Mitch Starc can't feature in the Baggy Green in light of such a physically demanding schedule.
"While my body still feels good and fresh, I don't see why I can't keep pushing for that," Neser said.
"Knowing how big this Test year is going to be, I'm sure everyone's going to have to play a role in some capacity.
"It's great to see that everyone who's come in has done so well. I don't know how many bowlers we went through this series, but everyone did superbly and going forward we all might be needed as well.
"For me personally, going into (the Ashes) not knowing whether I'm going to be playing or even being selected, and then to have those couple of injuries and be thrown into the mix is a dream come true."
KFC BBL|15 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
HUR
|
9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.398 | 0 | 13 |
|
2
STA
|
9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.031 | 0 | 12 |
|
3
SCO
|
8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.162 | 0 | 10 |
|
4
SIX
|
8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.458 | 0 | 9 |
|
5
HEA
|
8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -0.446 | 0 | 8 |
|
6
STR
|
9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.625 | 0 | 6 |
|
7
REN
|
8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.686 | 0 | 6 |
|
8
THU
|
9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.182 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points