Lives in Cricket No 28 - Keith Carmody

19 Whatever modest employment opportunities were created by his examination results, there can be little doubt Keith was even more excited about attracting the attention of the first-grade selectors a week later. On 31 January 1935 the Herald announced that ‘K.Carmody, a 15 year old batsman, has been promoted from second grade to Mosman’s first eleven. He takes the place of S.J. McCabe who is unavailable.’ Neither the newspapers nor Mosman’s records confirm that Keith did make his debut on that occasion. But in a season when McCabe was frequently ill, the opportunity certainly recurred two weeks later, although again Keith’s impact was negligible: picked at number eleven against University, he didn’t bat. When he did reach the crease in the penultimate game of the season he quickly discovered, if he didn’t already know, that the Sydney first grade was probably the strongest club competition in the world. Batting at number nine against St George, he was bowled for six by W.J. (Bill) O’Reilly, who took seven for 94. In the season’s final game he retained his place, advanced to number seven in the order and was out for seven. Although Keith was never dropped from the Mosman first team, his retention throughout the next two seasons was clearly recognition of promise, not achievement. His 1935/36 season’s batting aggregate was 205 and average 18.63 in 13 games and he took just one wicket. Picked once at number eleven and numerous times in the lower middle order, he reached number five in the final game at home to St George, when 39 was his second-highest score of the season. His highest was 49 against Wests, but the innings that most took the eye was 38 not out, away to Paddington in December 1935, a match that made Mosman sole leaders of the competition on the way to another premiership. ‘Carmody,’ said The Sydney Morning Herald , ‘showed great promise handling the attack in the manner of a veteran. His 38 not out took 75 minutes, but his coolness against a tricky leg field earned him many admirers.’ In the perspective of his total career, this was unusual praise for a batsman more often described as excitingly audacious or culpably risky. Two dismissals by stumping and one run out suggest he was already impetuous at least as often as cautious. In 1936/37 Keith batted generally higher in the order, including three times at number three and once as an opener. But a season’s aggregate of 140 must have tested the selectors’ faith in the promise of a batsman stumped once and caught five times in ten innings. Escape From Poverty