Carey equals world record with eight catches for SA

Alex Carey has equalled a cricket world record for catches in an innings while playing for SA.

Alex Carey has taken a world record-equalling eight catches in an innings for South Australia in their domestic one-day cup clash with Queensland.

Five of Carey’s catches were taken off the bowling of Jordan Buckingham, who finished with 6-41 in the Bulls’ total of 218.

The 32-year-old equalled the List A world record when he caught a skier to dismiss last man Matt Kuhnemann (36).

Carey finished the innings equal with two previous world record holders who achieved the feat in English County Cricket. The first to claim eight catches in an innings was Somerset’s ‘keeper Derek Taylor in 1982. The feat was then achieved by Worcestershire gloveman James Pipe in 2021.

Carey’s new mark is an Australia List A record on its own.

Former Australia wicketkeeper Peter Nevill had eight dismissals in an innings for NSW against a Cricket Australia XI in 2017 but two of them were stumpings.

Carey was in scintillating form throughout the innings and made the difficult look easy.

His best catch was a stunning diving effort down the leg side to dismiss Jack Wildermuth first ball off Buckingham.

Wildermuth got a good piece of a glance that seemed certain to be going to the boundary. Carey dived full length and with his left arm on the ground he somehow managed to glove the ball cleanly.

He also took a well-judged running catch towards fine leg to get rid of Queensland skipper Marnus Labuschagne for 74 off 99 deliveries.

Carey’s heroics came amidst an incredible spell of fast bowling by Henry Thornton (2-20 off 10). Thornton had 2-7 off his first six overs, beating Labuschagne at least six times with deliveries that cut both ways. Thornton dropped a tough caught and bowled chance off Labuschagne when he was yet to reach double figures.

It took all of the Test No.3’s skill to negotiate a spell that Glenn McGrath in his pomp would have been proud of.