Alex Carey continues to impress on the cricket field, achieving his third century of the Sheffield Shield season recently. The Australian wicketkeeper-batsman scored a rapid 104 runs off 100 balls while playing for South Australia in their match against Queensland, contributing to a solid team total of 7/614 declared.
Carey’s innings was complemented by strong performances from his teammates Conor McInerney, who scored 142, and Jake Lehmann, who remained not out on 130. In addition, Jason Sangha added a valuable 67 runs to the scoreboard. Following this latest innings, Carey’s first-class batting average has soared to an impressive 92, reiterating his remarkable form, which also saw him achieve a career-best score of 156 during the recent Test series against Sri Lanka.
After reaching his century, Carey expressed his ambitions of winning the Sheffield Shield, a goal he has kept in mind since the previous summer. With South Australia already securing a spot in the final, he felt it was important to stay active in matches to maintain his form and familiarity with the red ball ahead of the big game. He mentioned, “I had a pretty good chat with Ryno [coach Ryan Harris] at the start of the year,” emphasising his commitment to participating in as many games as possible.
Carey’s return to wicketkeeping duties comes after stepping back from this role during the ICC Champions Trophy, where Josh Inglis showcased his skills as the primary keeper for the one-day formats, while Carey focused on his batting.
The Sheffield Shield final is set to commence on March 26 at Karen Rolton Oval, a shift from its traditional venue at Adelaide Oval, which has been met with disappointment. South Australia currently leads the Shield ladder by 15 points, but the identity of their opponent remains uncertain as several teams vie for the remaining spot in the final round.