Alex Carey spent four long, hot days ducking in and out from the stumps at the Gabba and, by the end, a queue of former wicketkeepers were calling him the best gloveman on the planet. The praise followed Australia’s eight-wicket win over England, a result that puts the hosts 2-0 up in the Ashes and leaves the tourists wondering how to shift the series momentum.
First, the key bits. Carey scored an important 63 in Australia’s first-innings 332, made a running catch to see off Gus Atkinson on day one and, crucially, stood up to Michael Neser and Scott Boland for long spells. That decision paid off on the fourth morning when Ben Stokes nicked Neser and Carey pulled off a neat take that looked simpler than it was. No spinner in the side, yet the keeper was practically on the cut strip all match.
“Self-reflection, yeah, pretty proud of my efforts out there,” Carey told cricket.com.au. “Thought opportunities to come up to the stumps against some really good bowling and the boys were able to beat the bat. So thought I did a good job for the team. I also thought the bowlers did an amazing job to create those chances.”
He keeps the drills fairly simple during the week. “I don’t practice up to the stumps against fast bowling, think that probably could be a little bit dangerous at times,” he said. “You work on the fundamentals of the game, and for me that’s keeping up to the stumps to Nathan Lyon a lot but doing my drills in the nets with a nick bat, getting throws, trying to get in good positions. Then when you are in a game of cricket I feel like your instincts take over most of the time.”
Not so long ago, early in his Test career, there were quiet doubts about his glovework. Four years on, the narrative has flipped. “I think he’s clearly the best in the world, probably even before this [Test],” Ian Healy said on SEN radio. “To have such long periods [standing up] to quite 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. To be able to be effective with it as long as he was, you know, he hardly misgloved any of them.”
Brad Haddin, speaking on Triple M, did not hold back either: “I’ve not seen a better keeping display.”
Carey’s captain for this match, Steven Smith, could hardly stand any closer without borrowing the gloves himself. From slip he had a perfect view. “That performance behind the stumps was something else,” Smith said. “Ness [Neser] was getting the ball up around 137-138kph at times. Boland similar. He just gets in behind”
A touch unfinished, but the point was clear.
Why does it matter? Standing up to seamers shortens the batter’s reaction time by a fraction and, at the Gabba, that fraction made scoring that bit harder. England’s middle order tried to scamper singles and got stuck; Stokes, especially, never looked entirely free. There is also the energy factor. Teammates spoke of the buzz Carey gave the attack, clapping the hands, chatting away, lifting fielders who had already shifted to their fifth plan of the session.
Technically, the method is straightforward: soft hands, stay low, watch the wobble, move late. Practically, most keepers still back off unless the ball is crawling through. Neser and Boland are both brisk, not quick, yet it still takes nerve to stand inches behind the bat on a pitch that can spit.
The innings of 63 was handy too, dragged out over 157 balls when Australia were wobbling at 184 for 6 on the second evening. It will not make many highlight reels, though, and that seems to fit the understated nature of his week.
A balanced note is useful here: one great Test does not end the debate for all time. England dropped a couple, Carey did not; in a fortnight’s time the roles could easily reverse. Even so, the consensus from those who used to wear the gloves is telling. For now at least, plenty of judges see him on top of the keeping tree.
Australia head to Melbourne with the urn in sight. England, meanwhile, must regroup fast – and work out how to keep Carey from turning half-chances into match-turners.
