When Carlon Bowen-Tuckett woke up on the third day of West Indies Academy’s match against Barbados Pride on 71 not out, he knew something special was in the offing.
However, as the singles accumulated and his score crept into the 90s, the weight of a potential maiden first-class century began to settle on his shoulders.
“When I hit 90, that’s when the nerves and emotions really started kicking in. I was a little guilty in looking too far ahead and not playing every ball with the care that I needed,” Bowen-Tuckett recalled.
Despite the nerves, he reached his maiden century in Barbados – a place which holds great significance in the heart of the wicketkeeper-batsman who, though raised in Nevis, was born in Barbados where his maternal grandfather Egerton Bowen served as a pastor. It is that religious foundation that remains central to his approach to cricket and life.
“It allows me to be a little bit calmer because I know I have the backing of God,” he shared.
“What I’ve been learning is that God always has a plan for you. Even if I have difficulties, didn’t get the score I wanted or didn’t keep wicket to the best of my ability, I feel like God would not leave me by myself and He has bigger and better plans for me.”
That sense of calm serves him well in his dual role as wicketkeeper-batsman, a position that demands technical excellence, mental fortitude and of course, physical fitness.
“Both roles are equally important,” he stated plainly.
“People have been telling me in modern-day cricket, batting is more important, but these things both go hand in hand. If you don’t keep wicket well, that hinders the team and if you don’t bat well, that also hinders the team.”
As a result, Bowen-Tuckett’s simple approach to maintaining the right balance of good performance is also systematic.
“I try my best to do the same amount of work in training for both batting and wicketkeeping. Some days when I feel like I’m in a good space for batting, but haven’t been doing much wicketkeeping, I do less batting and focus more on wicketkeeping and vice versa.”
This season, as finally reaching the milestone of a maiden first-class century may suggest, Bowen-Tuckett has been working hard on improving his batting repertoire.
“I was batting a lot of balls last year, but I wasn’t really scoring off the bad balls. Now I’m really trying to expand my game, score a bit more and try to put the bowlers under a little bit more pressure.”
“I feel being fitter than last year has attributed to me being successful this year. Once your body is fit, cricket will be easier because you’ll be able to do what you normally do for a longer period of time.”
Drawing inspiration from his godfather, former West Indies wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, Bowen-Tuckett has developed a style that suits both his team’s needs and his personality.
“My game is similar to Williamson as we are players who bat a number of balls and we take our time. In this West Indies Academy team, we have a lot of people who can strike the ball well and score very quickly. I’m learning to love my role in terms of being the one to bat the number of balls and absorb the pressure.”
Looking ahead, the 20-year-old maintains a cautious approach to the future.
“Once I do my work and do my thing on the field, the future will take care of itself. I want to make sure I’m always helping the team in some way in each game.”
To young cricketers following in his footsteps, his advice is both simple and meaningful.
“Enjoy the process and enjoy the cricket. At a young age, you don’t want to be putting yourself under unnecessary pressure. Enjoy the process, the hard work and your career.”
In Carlon Bowen-Tuckett, regional cricket has found a promising talent who embodies the technical excellence and the thoughtful nature of the modern wicketkeeper-batsman.
With his maiden century secured and his skills behind the stumps steadily improving Bowen-Tuckett’s journey remains grounded in faith and it is only just beginning.
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