Two wickets in two balls! Neser's perfect start to Shield season amid ...

Victorian Test hopeful Marcus Harris and rising NSW star Sam Konstas have both belted hundreds on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield season.

Harris belted his ton against Tasmania at the CitiPower Centre ground, reaching the mark in less than 150 deliveries to open his campaign in style before departing for 143.

Tigers seamer Gabe Bell began the innings with two quickfire wickets, dismissing both Ashley Chandrasinghe and Campbell Kellaway.

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Marcus Harris of Victoria raises his bat after making a century during the Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and Tasmania at CitiPower Centre, on October 08, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

But Harris, alongside former Test batsmen Peter Handscomb, were able to steer the ship, with the centurian being dismised as the score sat at 3/261.

Harris’ century is a huge tick in his case for a Test recall, being one of the outside chances to be plucked out of domestic cricket as specialist opener.

He was included in the Test squad as early as last year, but feel out of favour after a string of lacklustre Shield performances.

Konstas, meanwhile, scored his ton off 163 balls in only his fifth First Class match, with one of Australia’s most highly-rated talents stamping his mark on the Shield competition.

Despite teammates falling around him, and NSW sitting at 3/80, Konstas stood tall to tally his first ever First Class century.

Sam Konstas of the Blues celebrates after reaching his century during the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and South Australia at Cricket Central, on October 08, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

His previous highest score in the Shield competition was 57, averaging 25.83 prior to the start of Tuesday’s play.

Elsewhere, Michael Neser got off to a red-hot start to the Shield season with two wickets in the very first two balls of his innings.

The two-time Test seamer nabbed the prized wicket of Cameron Bancroft with the first delivery of Queensland’s season-opening clash with Western Australia on Tuesday.

Bancroft, who is considered an outside chance of taking up the vacant Test opening spot, knicked a Neser outswinger, with wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson swallowing the catch.

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Michael Neser's two wickets in two balls, including Cameron Bancroft.Source: FOX SPORTS

Then Jayden Goodwin, 22, entered the crease, with only 10 First Class games under his belt prior to this game.

The rising star then had a moment he’d love to forget, failing to play a shot to a Neser delivery which smashed into his off-stump to raucous celebrations.

Luckily for Western Australia, Mitch Marsh was able to see off the hattrick delivery but he fell to Neser only eight overs later for 13 (26).

Neser caught the edge of Marsh’s bat, with Ben McDermott taking a simple catch at third slip to dismiss the Test all-rounder.

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Both Marsh and Bancroft are potential candidates to take over David Warner’s vacant Test opening spot, alongside Harris.

Bancroft hasn’t featured for the Test side since the Lord’s Test in 2019, scoring 13 and 16 against England in that game.

Prior to Tuesday’s innings, Bancroft had scored a staggering 1728 runs at 54.00, with ten centuries, in Shield cricket over the last 24 months.

Marsh, meanwhile, has been Australia’s most consistent batsmen since returning to the Test team at No.6. It remains to be seen if selectors would be willing to shift him from that spot.