Abel Carney stars with the bat for Bulls then kicks back at his personal oasis

And after making 91 not out for Bective East in an eight-wicket win over his former club Old Boys at No 1 Oval on Saturday, Carney returned to his Attunga property to have a drink with mates.

For the 36-year-old earth mover, one of his great pleasures is relaxing out the back of his house. Doing so provides a window to farmland and hills.

"It is good to be able to keep the old house," he said.

"I don't know. It's been 40 years or something that we've been there now - maybe a bit longer."

Read more:

Abel Carney recalls great Josh Hazlewood moment

"It's always home," added Carney, who lives alone. "I've only ever lived away for work."

The property, he continued, was located in "a little village".

"But you're on the outskirts a bit, and you've got no one around you."

Carney bought the home off his parents in 2015.

"Still got a few renos on the old house to do, but it'll all come with time and money," he said.

The beers would have gone down well on Saturday night. Carney said his 88-ball innings - which included 12 fours and three sixes - left him feeling "busted".

He and No 4 Lachie Barton (42 not out) piloted the Bulls to 2-180 in the 30th over after Old Boys finished on 9-179 off 40 overs (the two-day match was turned into a one-dayer after the first day was washed out).

Carney said he engaged in "a bit of banter" online with Old Boys keeper Tim Swan ahead of the match.

The Bulls vice-captain won a host of premierships with Old Boys before returning to the Bulls, his junior club, for the 2020-21 season.

"It was good to get one over him [Swan] - and Old Boys, of course," he said, adding: "I had a lot of good years at Old Boys. I think we won four or five comps."

Carney said he was "a bit slow" early in his innings on Saturday, but soon found his groove.

"I didn't try and overhit it like I usually do; just tried to hit it hard enough instead of trying to hit the cover off it."

It was the reigning premiers' first win of this campaign, after a loss to City United in a season-opener, while it was Old Boys' first game of 2022-23.

Read also:

Openers Ben Middlebrook (32) and Daniel Bryant (24) got Old Boys off to a solid start, before Aaron Hazlewood struck a 28-ball 43.

Blake Scicluna (4-40 off seven overs) was the pick of Bective's bowlers.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: