The allrounder, who has not played for Australia since December 2022, was among the Aussies in action in the WPL on Tuesday night
Nicola Carey has continued her good form in the Women’s Premier League strengthening the argument for her recall to the Australian team for the T20 World Cup.
The 32-year-old allrounder outshone a trio of current Australian players as she helped Mumbai Indians chase down Gujarat Giants’ 5-192 in the final over in Navi Mumbai.
Carey made 38 off 23 balls, supporting Indian superstar Harmanpreet Kaur (71no) in a match-winning partnership off 84 in 43 balls.
That followed the key dismissal of Giants captain Ash Gardner, after calling for an lbw review, and an important catch.
Carey, who was signed for the baseline A$50,000 and only started the WPL as Indians have injuries among their overseas players, has now made scores of 40, 21 and 38, totalling 99 runs off 64 balls.
Earlier this week former Australian captain Alex Blackwell urged national selectors to look again at Carey, who also shone in the final of England’s Hundred and made telling contributions as Hobart Hurricanes won their maiden WBBL title earlier this summer.
“If I was a selector I would ask her what her views would be and get her in the camp,” said Blackwell of Carey, who declined a national contract in 2023 as she wanted to play rather than be a travelling reserve.
Prior to that Carey had played 23 ODIs and 27 T20Is for Australia and featured in the 2020 T20 World Cup success.
Gardner thought Giants had enough runs after a late flurry after they were put in to bat. She herself made 20 off 11 balls while Beth Mooney scored 33 off 26 and Georgia Wareham an unbeaten 43 off 33.
Mooney failed to score off the first four balls of the innings then edged the fifth. However, to the horror of bowler Shabnim Ismail 17-year-old wicketkeeper Gunalan Kamalini shelled the chance.
Kamalini partially redeemed herself with a fine catch off Ismail to dismiss the in-form Kiwi Sophie Devine (8) but that brought in Kanika Ahuja who added 42 in 23 balls with Mooney before the Australian was caught and bowled by New Zealand spinner Amelia Kerr.
Carey, whose first ball had been carted for six by Mooney, then ended Gardner’s breezy innings and expertly caught Ahuja (35 off 18) in the deep within six balls.
The rate slipped to a run-a-ball so, in the first instance of a team retiring out their own batter in the WPL, Giants withdrew Ayushi Soni (11 off 14) and sent in Bharti Fulmali. She smacked 36 off 15 with the last over going for 23.
When Mumbai batted Mooney, who will become Australia’s full-time wicket-keeper when Alyssa Healy retires in March, soon showed her prowess with the gloves with a quicksilver stumping of Kamalini.
But Hayley Matthews (22 of 12) and Amanjot Kaur (40 off 26) took Mumbai to 3-109 setting the platform for Carey and thrice-dropped Harmapreet Kaur to lead the defending champions to victory.
“We had our moments in the chase but catches win matches,” said Gardner. “You can’t let the best players in the world off.”
“It’s been a lot of fun so far,” said Carey of her debut WPL season. “I swung and missed few times but you stick with it and sometimes it comes off.”
The question for Indians, when England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt returns from injury, is can they afford to leave Carey out? It’s a question Australia may soon be asking too.
