Duality of (glove)man: Aussie keepers go their own way

On the surface, Josh Inglis and Alex Carey might appear to be similar players.

Wicketkeeper-batters in Australia's Test middle order, both are counter-attacking stroke-makers wielding Kookaburra bats.

But throughout their 185-run partnership that tilted the third Test in Cape Town in Australia's favour, the pair showed how two different approaches could succeed on the same surface.

Carey was watchful, batting well below his career strike rate of 63.81 and looking unusually restrained against the spinners. He took no risks, reaching his half-century off 125 deliveries, the slowest of his career. After showing encouraging signs in his unbeaten 37 in the second innings in Gqeberha, the Aussie gloveman reached 50 for the first time in 12 innings.

At the other end, Inglis was motoring against the spin of Simon Harmer.

The Leeds-born Inglis has shown a clear preference for the slower bowlers in first-class cricket, averaging 30 runs more against spin (66.50) than pace (31.93) since the start of 2024.

When he raised the bat for 50 after 76 balls, 36 of his runs had come from 38 deliveries faced off Harmer. So, it was fitting that he brought up his century 40 minutes into day three with a smoked reverse sweep to the point boundary.

"I saw point was up and I was like, 'I've got to take this opportunity'," Inglis said of his milestone moment. "I played it a lot the previous day. I just had to get it out my system and get to three figures as quick as possible." 

Although the wicketkeeping duo were both yet to score when their partnership before tea on day two, Carey was on 69 runs when Inglis reached his century. 

Against the pace bowlers they targeted opposite sides of the wicket. Whereas Inglis waited for straight balls to work through the leg-side, Carey leaned into his strength through the cover region.

The left-handed Carey scored 40 per cent of his runs against the quicks through the covers with all five of his boundaries coming from width outside off. The right-handed Inglis conversely was far less prepared to drive off the front foot, scoring only two runs through the covers and only four runs down the ground in the 'V'.  

"'Kez' (Carey) is not one for talking too much in his innings," Inglis said, confirming their alternate approaches where by way of happenstance.

"We were just trying to remind ourselves; keep doing what the team needs, keep building the partnership. I think he was probably 20 runs in front of me at one stage, and it felt like I couldn't score.

"But then the roles reversed, and I thought we played off each other really nicely during that period."

The innings helped Inglis become the latest Australian to flourish in the fifth spot in the batting order after Matthew Renshaw dominated there in the first Test in Durban.

In the past two years, Aussie No.5s have scored twice as many Test centuries as any other batting position, with Travis Head, Cameron Green, Steve Smith and Carey all tonning up from that position.

The figures don't match the global averages per position, with No.4 the spot with the highest average from all Test nations.

Qantas tour of South Africa 2026

All matches broadcast exclusively in Australia on Kayo and Fox Cricket

First Test: Australia won by 214 runs

Second Test: South Africa won by an innings and 31 runs

Third Test: October 27-31, Newlands, Cape Town, 7:30pm AEDT (10:30am local)

South Africa Test squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster