Alex Carey, the test wicketkeeper, has been once again making headlines for quite some time now after hitting an unbeaten hundred for South Australia in a Sheffield Shield game against Queensland. This performance once again proves to be a strong caution for Indians before the Test series.
4, 6, 4
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 22, 2024
Alex Carey brought up his century in some style 💥#SheffieldShield pic.twitter.com/yyFtAvg0eI
Confident Show In Sheffield Shield
Then, on the third day of the match, he made a statement by scoring 123 not out from 163 balls. His innings ensured that South Australia posted a comprehensive 358-run lead at Allan Border Field. Skipper Nathan McSweeney too came in handy for the side, scoring 72 runs as he more than did himself justice to his chances of making it to Test cricket.
Likely Declaration And Strong Average
The day ended with a declaration looking likely as the paceman Jordan Buckingham also remained unbeaten with Carey. Remarkably, Carey is averaging 122 from four innings this summer and must be a great asset to the Australian middle order, particularly given that Cameron Green will miss the five-Test series against India.
Not Fazed By New Ball
Carey showed wonderful self-confidence with the second new ball, sealing three successive boundaries off pacer Mark Steketee with half an hour left in the day. He celebrated his second century of the season with that mammoth six over deep mid-wicket at the end, punctuating a brilliant day at the crease.
Crucial Contributions For Teammates
So early in the innings, Carey pulled a short ball from Tom Whitney to the boundary, reaching his half-century. He raised his bat within 67 deliveries, where he continued the momentum set by McSweeney as the South Australian captain, Usman Khawaja caught before that at first slip off Mitchell Swepson.
Great Bowling By Whitney
Tom Whitney was part of that. It was also one of his better days, laying three crucial blows in the early going on day three. A minor heel injury resulted in only limited bowling from him, but Whitney’s earlier five-wicket haul from the first innings had set the tone for Queensland. His final figures rank among the best for a Queensland debutant in Sheffield Shield history: 8 for 119.
High-point Moment
Drama at stumps: Test aspirant Matt Renshaw was in the headlines at the very end of the day – not for his batting, but for a quite brilliant catch at mid-wicket to dismiss Jake Lehmann off the part-time leg-spin of Marnus Labuschagne. Labuschagne was brilliant with the glove as well, pulling off an out-of-world catch to send in Liam Scott as Queensland capitalized on South Australia’s bowlers.
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