PHILIPSBURG—Perhaps it was only fitting that in a year marked by blackouts and two costly elections, a young man from Cole Bay rose to the occasion to shine a bright light on the national colours and give the people of Sint Maarten something to be immensely proud about.
Not only is Keacy Carty the first Sint Maartener to break into the senior West Indies squad, but he has done so with a bang. A very loud bang, that is!
Indeed, he became the fifth-fastest West Indian to reach 1000 One Day International (ODI) runs. In 28 innings, he has amassed 1,000 ODI runs at a remarkable average of 43.47.
Shimron Hetmyer, a Guyanese cricketer, also reached this milestone in 28 innings.
Ahead of them are Barbadian Gordon Greenidge, who reached the milestone in 23 innings, Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan and Trinidadian Nicholas Pooran, who did it in 27 innings apiece, and Antiguan Sir Vivian Richards, who became the fastest player to reach 1,000 runs in 21 innings.
That is one of the reasons why The Daily Herald recognizes Carty as its 2024 Sports Person of the Year. Because Carty had some other notable accomplishments in 2024 that deserve special recognition.
Test Debut
Additionally, Carty’s test debut on August 7 against South Africa in Trinidad stands out as a memorable event. Test cricket is played over five days and is still regarded as the highest level of cricket compared to 50 overs per side, 20 overs per side, and 10 overs per side.
Most cricketers aim to play on a test team because it challenges their mental, emotional, and physical skills. Carty has demonstrated that he has the acumen to play test cricket and was rightfully selected by the selectors.
On his debut match, Carty registered scores of 42 and 31. He batted at the coveted but difficult number three position, which is usually reserved for the best batsman in the team.
Carty came to the crease with his team in trouble, and CRICINFO captured
it accurately when it stated: “With Carty and (Alick) Athanaze at the crease, South Africa would have hoped to exploit their inexperience, but the young pair survived and then thrived.
Athanaze became comfortable sweeping, and Carty took 12 runs off (Lungi) Ngidi’s second over. The third-wicket stand grew to 46 before Carty hit (Keshav) Maharaj towards cover, where Mulder dived forward to take a low catch.”
By the end of the year, his test cricket scores were 42, 31, 29, and 17 against South Africa and 0, 3, 40, and 14 against Bangladesh. His test average is 21.62.
ODI Maiden Century
On the one-day circuit, Carty showed off his skills and proficiency. The year began in Australia for the St. Maarten cricket star and the West Indies team, then over to Sri Lanka.
He opened the year with a brilliant 88 against the superpower Aussies, who are current ODI World Cup champions.
In fact, Carty was poised for his maiden century when he was called
through for a non-existent single by Hayden Walsh Jr. and was more than a meter short when the direct hit came in. It was a cruel end for Carty after playing so well.
Walsh squatted low at the other end, hoping for the ground to swallow him up, knowing fully well he had barbequed Carty trying to get off strike. His dismissal was heartbreaking because the West Indies only posted 232 runs and lost the match by eight wickets.
Carty scored 40 and 10 in the other two games to cap a challenging tour for the Caribbean Boys.
In Sri Lanka, Carty scored 37 and 6 and did not need to bat in the third
match.
The latter half of the year was played in the West Indies against England and Bangladesh, and Carty had significant success. Of note, he stroked his maiden ODI century against England on November 6. It was a magnificent 128 not out that helped his team chase down 263 and win the match by eight wickets.
The century was spiced up with 15 fours and two sixes. He featured in a
match-winning partnership of 209 runs with Brandon King (102 off 177 balls).
Carty’s last six-inning scores were 19 not out, 71, 128 not out, 21,45, and 95.
He recorded a phenomenal average of 94.75 for the latter half of the year.
CPL Campaign
Carty plays for four-time Caribbean Premier League (CPL) champions Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the regional marquee T20 league. He scored the second most runs for his team in 2024, only behind Nicholas Pooran, the tournament’s leading scorer.
Carty scored 246 runs in 10 innings with a best score of 73 off 35 balls (9 fours, 3 sixes) against St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots. His average was a respectable 30.75. He slammed 16 fours and 10 sixes. His strike rate was 125.51.
Keiron Pollard is the Captain of TKR. Pollard is known for his explosive and rapid scoring in T20, but comparatively, Carty outscored him in a team
whereby Pollard batted in 11 innings to score 235 runs.
Cricket St. Maarten and its Chairman Imran Mc Sood Amjad rightfully
honored Carty for his outstanding feats at an awards dinner on December 27. In an invited comment, Amjad stated, “Carty is not
just a world-class cricketer representing the West Indies, but he represents the nation of St Maarten and all that it has been. Where people from all walks of life and around the world can come and be given opportunities to gain success.
He represents how much can be done with so little if you put in the effort, time, and energy into achieving a dream. He represents a young nation in transition with young people looking for role models and heroes who can inspire them. Carty shows what our youths can do if they have their parents’ support, directly and indirectly, like his father and mother.”
Amjad revealed that he believed Carty’s success came from his mental
strengths. Amjad noted, “He has made the most of his ability by knowing
what he can do. He has mastered what he can by being resolute and patient, reading the game situation well, and playing with that understanding of what is required.” Amjad also praised Carty’s right attitude: “He is a genuinely good-natured young man who’s respectful and humble.
He has never forgotten where he came from or his team. And has remained a good son to his parents.”
Keacy’s parents are Keith Carty and Angela Carty.
An ardent fan, who wishes to remain anonymous, has placed a sign at the entrance of Cole Bay, the place where he was born.
