Join now and get your first month for just $1 ><\/a><\/p>\nRewinding three days, Carey put together a wicketkeeping masterclass on day one, headlined by a lunging catch to remove England\u2019s Gus Atkinson during the evening session. After a top edge sailed into the Brisbane skyline, the 34-year-old spun around and sprinted 20 metres, whipping off his baggy green before diving to pouch the high chance.<\/p>\n
Teammate Marnus Labuschagne, who was barging in from the slips cordon, made the catch even more difficult by inadvertently tackling him mid-air. Carey\u2019s background in Australian rules football undoubtedly came in handy.<\/p>\n
Alex Carey of Australia celebrates with Marnus Labuschagne after an outstanding catch running backwards. Photo by Cameron Spencer\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Throughout the Gabba Test, Carey kept up to the stumps for seamers Scott Boland and Michael Neser, keeping England\u2019s batters in their crease and bringing LBW back into play. He swallowed an outside edge from rival captain Ben Stokes on day four, a dismissal that essentially sealed victory for the Australians, while a couple of frames denied him a stumping of the dangerous Harry Brook during the first innings.<\/p>\n
The ploy also contributed to the dismissals of Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope on day three, with the duo stuck on the crease while chipping return catches back to Neser.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Fox Cricket at the Gabba, Australian legend Adam Gilchrist praised Carey\u2019s \u201ccourage and conviction\u201d throughout the second Test, talking through the challenges of keeping up to the stumps to pace bowlers.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaking the judgement to go up to the stumps in conditions out here is all about dragging those batters back into their crease, changing their game plan,\u201d Gilchrist said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s challenging is when the batter starts moving around in front of you in unconventional ways, and that turned out to be the case in the first innings where Brook tried that ramp.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just great to see him getting the rewards of all the work that he\u2019s put in \u2026 it\u2019s a joy to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carey burns Marnus to take classic catch | 02:19<\/p>\n
Carey, a diligent trainer, confessed after the pink-ball Test that he doesn\u2019t practice his glovework up to the stumps against fast bowling because it was \u201cdangerous\u201d. Yet, he was willing to put his body on the line in the Ashes furnace.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have not seen a better keeping display or a braver keeping display,\u201d former Australian gloveman Brad Haddin said on Triple M.<\/p>\n
Former England captain Michael Vaughan continued on Fox Cricket: \u201cHe\u2019s given a masterclass on how to keep.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCarey is one of those cricketers I would love in my team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ian Healy’s lofty praise for Alex Carey.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Speaking to media after the match, Australian stand-in captain Smith called Carey a \u201cfreak\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat performance behind the stumps was something else,\u201d he said during the post-match press conference.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeser was getting the ball up around 138km\/h at times, he just gets in behind it. He finds a way to just get the ball in his hands. It hits the batter\u2019s pads, and it ends up in his hands somehow.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe works exceptionally hard. He\u2019s as fit as anyone. He just turns up day in, day out, rarely makes a mistake and pulls off unbelievable catches.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was at slip, when he was up to the stumps, I was so wide just because of how much he covers, he just gets his hands out there. It\u2019s like he knows they\u2019re going to nick it almost at times.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat keeping performance was as good as I\u2019ve seen.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the bat, Carey contributed a crucial 63 in the first innings, surviving the hazardous twilight session on day two and combining with Neser for a 54-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Mitchell Starc and Boland were the beneficiaries of his gritty knock the following afternoon, with the duo adding a further 75 runs in more docile conditions with a softened Kookaburra to frustrate England\u2019s fatigued bowlers.<\/p>\n
Having been dropped on 0 and 25, Carey made the most of his early reprieve, ensuring Australia secured a hefty first-innings lead.<\/p>\n
Since the start of last year, Carey has averaged 40.20 in Tests, with only one Australian bettering that figure \u2013 batting maestro Smith with 42.61.<\/p>\n
With a career batting average of 34.98, Carey sits second among Australian Test wicketkeepers behind Gilchrist. And he just seems to keep getting better and better. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe more you play at a higher level, the more you\u2019re going to improve, and I think he\u2019s showing that,\u201d Gilchrist added.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s such a hard worker.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex Carey’s Test batting average is outstanding.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy declared that Carey was \u201cclearly\u201d the world\u2019s best gloveman, applauding his bravery throughout the Gabba Test.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo have such long periods (standing up) to fast bowling on a pitch that looks as if something might happen \u2013 but didn\u2019t a whole lot of times \u2013 clearly cements him as the best,\u201d Healy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe hardly misgloved any of them. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s clearly the best in the world, probably even before this (Test).\u201d<\/p>\n
Starc talks Carey catch + Lyon dropping | 06:04<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, it can\u2019t be comfortable for Carey having reserve wicketkeeper Josh Inglis in the starting XI. National selectors speak highly of the West Australian, who has already taken over Carey\u2019s role in the ODI team, while eighteen months ago there was genuine debate on whether Inglis \u2014 four years Carey\u2019s junior \u2014 should be the first-choice Test gloveman as well.<\/p>\n
However, since his match-saving performance in Christchurch last year, an unbeaten 98 against the Black Caps in the fourth innings, Carey\u2019s spot in the Test side hasn\u2019t been up for debate.<\/p>\n
Notably, Inglis made a century in his very first Test knock when he debuted in Sri Lanka in January this year, while Carey made 46 not out in the same innings; he was up the other end when Inglis reached three figures and congratulated him warmly. In the second Test, Carey responded with a sparkling 156 against a duck for Inglis, a career-best that earned the incumbent gloveman man of the match honours.<\/p>\n
If he was feeling even the slightest threat, he responded brilliantly to Inglis\u2019 presence again in Brisbane. Inglis made 23 in Australia\u2019s first innings.<\/p>\n
Alex Carey celebrates with Josh Inglis after his century on debut in Sri Lanka…Source: Getty ImagesThen celebrates a career-best ton of his own in the following Test.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guy\u2019s a match-winner,\u201d former Australian spinner Kerry O\u2019Keeffe said of Carey on Fox Sports News.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he has such an underrated personality, Carey slips under the radar.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe tilts games Australia\u2019s way when he comes in (to bat).<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s keeping brilliantly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, the Australian is comfortably outperforming his England counterpart, with rival gloveman Jamie Smith having a poor start to his Ashes campaign. The Surrey product missed two chances on day two at the Gabba, while he has posted scores of 33, 15, 0 and 4 with the bat.<\/p>\n
\u201cCarey is very much improved,\u201d former Test spinner Phil Tufnell said on BBC Test Match Special.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were asked to pick our combined side, and I was edging towards Jamie Smith, but Carey has blown past him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former England captain Michael Atherton continued on Sky Sports: \u201cCarey was absolutely fantastic behind the stumps.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was the beating heart of a brilliant performance in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
The third Ashes Test between Australia and England gets underway at Adelaide Oval, Carey\u2019s home ground, on December 17.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wicketkeepers often don\u2019t get the recognition they deserve. In a team sport that has such a focus on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":344276,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[139006,2620,18761,64,63,689,190605,3600,12551,136008,190593,138039,190598,190595,143243,107269,190601,140186,186545,651,30195,190603,190602,740,1208,2057,76112,653,18664,2105,24161,190597,190599,101482,125980,17066,190591,190600,51148,190596,24774,124996,17055,31024,3583,677,190604,22975,4873,668,701,1934,2643,182095,190594,190590,85,18784,5338,167516,3586,190592],"class_list":["post-344275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-adam-gilchrist","tag-agence-france-presse","tag-alex-carey","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-gloveman","tag-australian-legend","tag-australian-rules-football","tag-australian-spinner","tag-australian-stand-in-captain","tag-australian-wicketkeeper","tag-batting-maestro","tag-beating-heart","tag-borough-of-christchurch","tag-brad-haddin","tag-braver-keeping-display","tag-brilliant-performance","tag-brilliant-wicket-keeping","tag-brisbane","tag-cameron-spencer","tag-career-batting-average","tag-carey-ampampamp-neser","tag-cricket","tag-england","tag-europe","tag-evening-session","tag-fox-sports-news","tag-game-plan","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-gus-atkinson","tag-hazardous-twilight-session","tag-hefty-first-innings-lead","tag-home-ground","tag-ian-healy","tag-joe-root","tag-keeping-display","tag-keeping-performance","tag-kerry-okeeffe","tag-lunging-catch","tag-michael-atherton","tag-michael-neser","tag-michael-vaughan","tag-mitchell-starc","tag-northern-europe","tag-oceania","tag-patrick-hamilton","tag-phil-tufnell","tag-post-match-press-conference","tag-press-conference","tag-queensland","tag-scott-boland","tag-sky-sports","tag-slips-cordon","tag-song-master","tag-southern-cross-i-stand","tag-sports","tag-steven-smith","tag-the-gabba","tag-tim-paine","tag-united-kingdom","tag-wayne-phillips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=344275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/344276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=344275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=344275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=344275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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