Australia wrapped up an eight-wicket victory in Brisbane to establish a 2-0 Ashes lead, and stand-in captain Steven Smith could hardly have been happier with two of the less heralded members of the XI.
Michael Neser, finally playing a home Test, collected a first-innings three-for and followed it with 5 for 42 on the final afternoon. Alex Carey kept wicket as if born to the gabba grass, finishing with seven dismissals in the match and a decisive 63 with the bat.
Key moments first. England began the fifth day 118 runs in front with six wickets standing. Ben Stokes and Will Jacks, who had weathered the pink ball for the whole first session the previous evening, resumed on 71 and 29 respectively. Their stand of 96 was already the longest of the series and, for half an hour, threatened to set up a nervy chase.
Enter Neser. With the ball 69 overs old and still nibbling under lights, the Queensland seamer angled one across Jacks; Smith at second slip hurled himself low to his left and pouched a catch he later called, “one of the best I’ve taken”. Three overs later the decisive blow landed: Neser drew Stokes into a hesitant drive, Carey standing up to the stumps held on inches from the bat. England folded to 240 all out, leaving Australia 127 to win. They knocked them off without fuss.
“What he [Neser] did today and in the first innings, was exceptional, I think,” Smith said at the presentation. “He offers something different to the other guys. We can bring the keeper up to the stumps and change the game that way. And the way he bowled today and last night was exceptional. Really pleased for him to get his first five. He’s been on a lot of tours. He’s worked really hard.”
A point often overlooked is Neser’s batting. At No. 8 he put on 54 with Carey on the second evening, shepherding Australia into daylight when batting is traditionally easiest with the pink ball. “He obviously made our batting a little bit longer as well at number eight,” Smith added.
If the captain was generous about Neser, his praise for Carey bordered on awe. “He’s a freak,” Smith said. “Honestly, up to the stumps, the ball just seems to end up in his hands. It hits the batter’s pad or something, and still ends up in his hands. He’s got no fear up there. He moves so well, and his gloves are just sensational. That was one of the best keeping performances, I think I’ve ever seen.”
Carey’s stumping chance to remove Harry Brook off Scott Boland narrowly missed by millimetres, yet it underlined his confidence in standing up to seamers nudging 135kph — a relatively rare sight in Test cricket. The four catches he completed in the second innings were clean; the one to dismiss Stokes, a take most keepers would be content to manage even with the wicket 20 yards back.
There were other contributors, of course. Mitchell Starc, rightly named player of the match, swung the new ball at high pace to claim 4 for 41 on the first evening. Boland maintained his stranglehold on England’s top order, collecting Joe Root twice in the match with trademark stump-threatening length. Yet it was the lower-profile pair who turned a potentially tricky contest into smooth sailing.
“It’s got to be up there, I reckon,” Smith admitted of his catch to remove Jacks. His haul of four catches drew him level with Rahul Dravid on the all-time list for non-keepers. Whether or not he passes Mark Waugh, the record holder, will depend on how often he fields in the slips rather than leads Australia’s batting — another discussion for another day.
England, meanwhile, leave Brisbane with familiar questions. Their top order again failed to supply a platform, and Stokes cannot be asked to rescue them single-handed every innings. The bowling lacked bite once the lacquer wore off the new ball, a problem accentuated by Neser’s ability to gain movement well into the 60-over mark.
Matt Prior, analysing on television, felt the difference lay in control. “Neser just never missed his length,” he said. “England’s seamers were good in patches but offered the release too often. Over five days that tells.”
The series moves to Adelaide, where a traditional red-ball Test awaits. Australia will consider whether Pat Cummins’ quad is ready; if not, Neser has surely nailed down the fourth seamer spot. England may contemplate tweaking the batting order. A recall for Jonny Bairstow, perhaps? Moeen Ali hinted as much on commentary: “They need someone to put pressure back on the bowlers. It can’t all be on Stokes and Root.”
For now, the narrative belongs to two unassuming professionals. Neser has spent years carrying drinks; Carey, often compared unfavourably to predecessors with the gloves, took a giant step towards owning the role. A messy Test at times, but the result was clear-cut. Australia are two up, England searching for answers, and the quiet men of the home dressing-room are making all the noise that matters.
