He’s enjoying arguably the best batting form of his cricketing career for both his country and his state and there’s a drought-breaking goal driving Alex Carey’s glorious run.
A Sunday century for South Australia was his third in the Sheffield Shield season and took his run count beyond 555, his best return for SA, and his average moved to Sir Donald Bradman areas at 92.
That’s come in just four Shield games, but throw in a maiden Test 150, making 156 against Sri Lanka in Galle, a series in which the keeper averaged 202, and it’s not unfair to say Carey’s in the batting form of his life.
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But ending SA’s 29-year Shield drought, which is on the cards with a home final locked in amid a stunning turnaround for the perennial cellar-dwellers in recent years, under new coach Ryan Harris, is at the top of Carey’s to-do list and he wants to do his part in between international duties.
“I had a pretty good chat with ‘Ryno’ at the start of the year, and I was always wanting to play as many games as possible,” Carey said after his innings.
“A goal has always been to win a Sheffield Shield … and I probably thought it’s a good idea to play this (game) as well.”
Carey also made 130 runs in two Champions Trophy innings, playing as a batter only, but grabbed the gloves for SA to get back into the groove for the final.
Having tasted Shield final defeat in 2015-16 and 2016-17, both times to Victoria, who could yet be the opponent again, Carey is ticking plenty of preparation boxes and looms as a key man in the decider.
“I didn’t keep in the Champions Trophy so to get behind the stumps, it felt like that was important,” he said.
“And to get back and play on our wickets with a red ball leading into the final was important as well.
“To face the second new ball (yesterday), I hadn’t faced the swinging ball in a little while, so that was a challenge.
“I guess knowing we were in the final as well was nice, but I would have played to hopefully get us into a Shield final.
“I think it was important to keep the wheels ticking over and not just sit around and not do a lot for the next couple of weeks.”
Carey will get to rest up after the final before being needed for the Test tour of the West Indies and the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s.
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