New Zealand Openers Rewrite Test Match Records Against WI

Cricket action
Tom Latham and Devon Conway have put New Zealand in a commanding position.

Third Test, Mount Maunganui (day four of five)

  • New Zealand 575 for 8 declared: Conway 227, Latham 137 and 306-2 dec: Latham 101, Conway 100
  • West Indies 420 all out: Hodge 123 and 43-0

New Zealand's Tom Latham and Devon Conway achieved a historic first by becoming the first openers in Test cricket to score centuries in both innings of a match, setting the West Indies a massive 462-run target for victory.

Latham scored 137 and 101 in this series decider, while Conway built upon his mammoth 227 in the first innings with a precise 100 in the second.

The duo had constructed a colossal 323-run stand in the first innings, totaling 515 runs overall—a unprecedented total for the highest aggregate an opening pair in a Test.

Furthermore, Conway entered rare company in Test history to achieve a double century and a century in the identical game.

He emulated legends like Greg Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar, Graham Gooch, Brian Lara, and Kumar Sangakkara in accomplishing this remarkable feat.

Match Context

Earlier on day four, the Windies were bowled out for 420, facing a deficit of 155 runs, before Latham and Conway returned to bat.

Along with knocks from Kane Williamson (40) and Rachin Ravindra (46), the New Zealand openers propelled their side to 306-2 before a declaration, leaving the visitors a near-impossible target of 462 to win and level the series.

At the close of play, West Indies openers had navigated to 43-0, with John Campbell showing great patience to score two runs from 50 balls, while Brandon King made 37.

John Cruz
John Cruz

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