Clouds can’t stop Carey while Rory smashes sixes
Glamorgan 139-5, Northamptonshire 321 - Stumps, Day Two
WHILE the first day between Glamorgan and Northamptonshire was severely curtailed by rain, this match was brightened up significantly by the first-class debut of 19-year-old Lukas Carey.
Playing for Glamorgan having impressed in the second XI in recent weeks, Carey was given the responsibility of the new ball and flourished.
His 11th ball in first-class cricket brought his first wicket – the in-form Ben Duckett driving uppishly to be caught in the covers by Ruaidhri Smith. It was the dream start for the young man who plays his club cricket 10 miles away for Pontarddulais, the same club as Glamorgan coach Robert Croft.
Carey wasn’t done there. There was the odd bad ball as you would expect from someone so inexperienced, but those poor deliveries were interspersed with excellent ones. The ball that he got to seam into Sean Terry to pin the batsman lbw was just about perfect.
Glamorgan performance analyst David Harrison referred to Carey as a “skilful bowler” and that was in evidence as he dismissed batsmen with seam and swing rather than with searing pace.
After his dream debut, Carey spoke of his excitement of making his debut so close to home, saying:“I was told on Monday night that I was playing. I was hopeful of getting a couple of wickets and then hopefully get another game later on in the season or the next game.
“I was just glad of getting a game for the first team.There was a couple of nerves but I slowly got over them. I have played quite a bit of club cricket here, I play here a couple of times a year, so I know what the pitch is doing. It is helpful going into a game where you know what the pitch is going to do.”
Carey claimed his third victim with a full ball that swung away from Rob Keogh that was edged to Aneurin Donald at second slip. One 19-year-old Welshman taking the catch for another.
There was a real Welsh feel to this Glamorgan team. With Graham Wagg, Michael Hogan and Craig Meschede all rested ahead of the T20 Blast quarter-final, there were seven Welsh-born cricketers in the line-up. Having struggled to find local talent to fill their ranks in recent years, this current crop of Welshmen, which included Donald and David Lloyd, will certainly please the county’s supporters.
Another of those Welsh players was Owen Morgan, who is also a product of Pontarddulais CC and also made his Glamorgan debut this year. Carey hopes that he and Morgan will not be the last county cricketers that the club produces.
He added: “Hopefully there will be a couple more from Pontarddulais that play for Glamorgan in the next couple of years.”
While Carey will claim most of the headlines some credit needs to go to Laurie Evans who is on loan at Northamptonshire from Warwickshire. He is the reason that Northants did not completely collapse from 384 on day one and was dismissed for 74 on day two.
It was Rory Kleinveldt who shone on the second day, smashing a remarkable seven sixes as he made 91 with the visitors all out for 321.