Alex Carey is in the form of his life and in Adelaide he arguably played the Test match of his life. The wicket-keeper scored 106 and 72, while also affecting seven dismissals with the gloves as Australia retained the Ashes urn.
The South Australian narrowly edged Travis Head to win player of the match honours, and in doing so created some incredible Ashes history. In the 143 years of Ashes cricket, only three times has a wicket-keeper won player of the match honours in a men’s Test.
Alex Carey is the first wicket-keeper ever to win player of the match in an Ashes Test in Australia. Image: Getty
Ian Healy became the first when he scored 79 runs and had seven dismissals in the fifth Test at Trent Bridge in 1997. Adam Gilchrist achieved the feat in 2001 when he made a superb 152 in the first Test at Edgbaston.
Carey became the third on Sunday as Australia won the third Test by 82 runs to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. Remarkably, Carey’s achievement marks the first time in 143 years that a wicket-keeper won player of the match in an Ashes Test in Australia.
Ian Healy, Adam Gilchrist and Alex Carey are the only keepers to achieve the feat. Image: Getty
Healy and Gilchrist both did it in England, and before Carey it had never been achieved Down Under. It sums up Carey’s incredible vein of form, in which he’s proven to be the best keeper-batter in world cricket.
His third Test century took his career average to 36.72, which is comfortably better than predecessors Healy (27.39), Brad Haddin (32.98) and Tim Paine (32.63). Gilchrist was one of the all-time greats and averaged a remarkable 47.60.
Alex Carey’s emotional century for late father
Carey’s heroics in Adelaide came just three months after the death of his father Gordon. Carey and wife Eloise were both emotional when he brought up triple figures on the opening day.
“I’m trying not to tear up,” he said after the first day’s play. “It was great and to have mum, brother, sister, Eloise and the kids (there), it was a great moment.
“Dad played the biggest role, probably in my cricket. He coached me all the way through, as dads want to do, and sort of let me go once I got into my older teenage years. But he would always shoot a message (like) put the reverse sweep away, keep hard on me, but look, it was great. It was a special moment for myself, and for the family too, I reckon.”