Wicketkeepers often don’t get the recognition they deserve. In a team sport that has such a focus on individual statistics, their contribution easily goes unnoticed.
But that wasn’t the case for Alex Carey at the Gabba this week. Although Mitchell Starc, Joe Root and Michael Neser stole the headlines, the South Australian gloveman was heaped with praise for his performance behind the stumps in the Queensland capital, helping the hosts take a 2-0 lead in the five-match campaign.
And as the Test side’s new song master, Carey led the team’s rendition of ‘Under the Southern Cross I Stand’ on Sunday evening, capping off a near-perfect week for Steve Smith’s men.
Watch The Ashes 2025/26 LIVE and ad-break free during play with FOX CRICKET on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1 >
Rewinding three days, Carey put together a wicketkeeping masterclass on day one, headlined by a lunging catch to remove England’s 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.
Teammate Marnus Labuschagne, who was barging in from the slips cordon, made the catch even more difficult by inadvertently tackling him mid-air. Carey’s background in Australian rules football undoubtedly came in handy.
Throughout the Gabba Test, Carey kept up to the stumps for seamers Scott Boland and Michael Neser, keeping England’s 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.
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.
Speaking to Fox Cricket at the Gabba, Australian legend Adam Gilchrist praised Carey’s “courage and conviction” throughout the second Test, talking through the challenges of keeping up to the stumps to pace bowlers.
“Making 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,” Gilchrist said.
“What’s 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.
“It’s just great to see him getting the rewards of all the work that he’s put in … it’s a joy to watch.”
Carey burns Marnus to take classic catch | 02:19
Carey, a diligent trainer, confessed after the pink-ball Test that he doesn’t practice his glovework up to the stumps against fast bowling because it was “dangerous”. Yet, he was willing to put his body on the line in the Ashes furnace.
“I have not seen a better keeping display or a braver keeping display,” former Australian gloveman Brad Haddin said on Triple M.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan continued on Fox Cricket: “He’s given a masterclass on how to keep.”
“Carey is one of those cricketers I would love in my team.”
Speaking to media after the match, Australian stand-in captain Smith called Carey a “freak”.
“That performance behind the stumps was something else,” he said during the post-match press conference.
“Neser 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’s pads, and it ends up in his hands somehow.
“He works exceptionally hard. He’s as fit as anyone. He just turns up day in, day out, rarely makes a mistake and pulls off unbelievable catches.
“When 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’s like he knows they’re going to nick it almost at times.
“That keeping performance was as good as I’ve seen.”
With the bat, Carey contributed a crucial 69 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’s fatigued bowlers.
Having been dropped on 0 and 25, Carey made the most of his early reprieve, ensuring Australia secured a hefty first-innings lead.
Since the start of last year, Carey has averaged 40.20 in Tests, with only one Australian bettering that figure – batting maestro Smith with 42.61.
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.
“The more you play at a higher level, the more you’re going to improve, and I think he’s showing that,” Gilchrist added.
“He’s such a hard worker.”
Elsewhere, former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy declared that Carey was “clearly” the world’s best gloveman, applauding his bravery throughout the Gabba Test.
“To have such long periods (standing up) to fast bowling on a pitch that looks as if something might happen – but didn’t a whole lot of times – clearly cements him as the best,” Healy said.
“He hardly misgloved any of them.
“I think he’s clearly the best in the world, probably even before this (Test).”
Highest Test batting average among Australian wicketkeepers
47.60 – Adam Gilchrist
34.98 – Alex Carey
32.98 – Brad Haddin
32.63 – Tim Paine
29.12 – Wayne Phillips
Starc talks Carey catch + Lyon dropping | 06:04
Meanwhile, it can’t 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’s role in the ODI team, while eighteen months ago there was genuine debate on whether Inglis should be the first-choice Test gloveman as well.
However, since his match-saving performance in Christchurch last year, an unbeaten 98 against the Black Caps in the fourth innings, Carey’s spot in the Test side hasn’t been up for debate.
“The guy’s a match-winner,” former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe said on Fox Sports News.
“Because he has such an underrated personality, Carey slips under the radar.
“He tilts games Australia’s way when he comes in (to bat).
“He’s keeping brilliantly.
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.
“Carey is very much improved,” former Test spinner Phil Tufnell said on BBC Test Match Special.
“We were asked to pick our combined side, and I was edging towards Jamie Smith, but Carey has blown past him.”
Former England captain Michael Atherton continued on Sky Sports: “Carey was absolutely fantastic behind the stumps.
“He was the beating heart of a brilliant performance in the field.”
The third Ashes Test between Australia and England gets underway at Adelaide Oval, Carey’s home ground, on December 17.
Discussion about this post