Alex Carey takes his opportunity to hush Headingley in his first match since that infamous Ashes series in 2023.
Carey made a brilliant 74 in just his second match back since being dropped from the ODI side.
The Headingley fans greeted Alex Carey at the crease with a reaction akin to that of the previous year, albeit with their shoes on. This was definitely not a surprise.
Alex Carey was the most hated man in Leeds fourteen months prior, having played a perfectly legitimate part in Jonny Bairstow’s stumping at Lord’s. Carey, who fell for 8 and 5, had a tough match. His teammates have already expressed their concern for him. He has talked about the importance of his family and his resentment that they were included in the abuse.
Carey emerged victorious in every aspect on Saturday, having played a pivotal role in Australia’s 68-run victory, despite the fact that the stakes in an ODI in mid-September were far lower than in one of the most fiercely contested Ashes series in recent memory.
“I was aware of it [the crowd] but it’s business as usual.” Carey said after being named Player of the Match. “As soon as you get into your routine you block out as much as you can and you start to get into your innings. I think [for] most batters, a lot of that noise disappears and you are quite focused. And that’s the position I like to get into. It’s one of those things, isn’t it. I think Smudge [Smith] gets it all the time, I was prepared to get it today. It happened. So fair play.”
Carey, who had not scored a run in his first innings since the Test series against New Zealand in March, which coincidentally ended with him playing a match-winning hand with 98 not out in Christchurch, altered the course of the match with a last-wicket stand of 49 with Josh Hazlewood. In July, he had trained with the Los Angeles Knight Riders in the MLC, but he never received a game.
After Marnus Labuschagne’s wicket fell, Carey entered the field and saw Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh go, leaving Australia 161 for 6. In the 37th over, he and Aaron Hardie put up a brisk fifty-five runs before three more swift wickets left the visitors at 221 for nine. Carey appeared to be stranded as he was on 32 off 29 balls. However, he expertly managed the situation with Hazlewood. He refused singles till the very end of the over and choosing his opportunities to reach the boundary.
Carey added to his impressive outing with a slick leg-side catch, diving full length to his left, that removed Liam Livingstone and left Hardie on a hat-trick. “Not a nice way to get out, but nice to be the keeper when you hold onto them,” he said.
A few minutes earlier at the post-match presentation Carey was asked about potentially just keeping Inglis’ seat warm. “He’s a great young player, he showed that in T20 series’ earlier this tour,” he said. “I’ve sat on the bench the last period for the team in ODIs and it’s nice to get back out. An opportunity popped up; who knows how long I’ll last but it’s been great fun.”
Probably a bit more fun than his last visit to Headingley.