Striking silverware the top priority for Carey
ALEX Carey has his sights set firmly on helping the Adelaide Strikers break through for their maiden BBL title rather than focusing on a potential international Twenty20 berth.
The gloveman’s matchwinning maiden century lifted his side to an 11-run win over the Hobart Hurricanes on Wednesday and back to the top of the league points table.
Carey, who was called into the Australian one-day squad yesterday as back-up, is the tournament’s second leading run-scorer behind Hurricanes record-breaker D’Arcy Short and has put his name in lights ahead of next month’s international T20 tri-series involving Australia, England and New Zealand.
But for now he has one goal in mind.
“You never know,” Carey said. “You obviously want to make runs and put your name out there (but) Tim Paine is doing really well in the green and gold.
“I want to keep playing well for our side to get some silverware, hopefully, later in this tournament.
“That’s my No.1 focus – to go out there and do the best I can for the Strikers. The rest will take care of itself.”
Carey’s sublime knock and the relatively cheap dismissal of Short (28) turned the match Adelaide’s way before Alex Doolan’s career-best 70 not out almost helped the Hurricanes produce a miracle.
Doolan started cautiously before kicking off mid-innings, clocking wily Strikers legspinner Rashid Khan for three sixes in one over. Before the match, Khan had yet to concede a single maximum all tournament, across 32 overs.
“The first one he got, I said to him ‘that’s the first one anyone’s hit this tournament’,” Carey said.
“I shouldn’t have said that – he got confident.”
The behind-the-wicket remark was confirmed by Doolan.
“I guess every dog has his day,” the Tasmanian said.
“Alex Carey told me that out there when I hit the first one, so what an honour.”