New Zealand Opening Batsmen Shatter Test Milestones Versus WI

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

Final Test, Mount Maunganui (the fourth day of five)

  • New Zealand 575-8 dec: 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 etched their names in the record books by becoming the initial opening pair in Test cricket to hit hundreds in each innings of a match, leaving the West Indies a daunting 462-run target for victory.

Latham scored 137 and 101 in this third and final Test, while Conway built upon his mammoth 227 in the first innings with a composed 100 in the second.

The pair had constructed a colossal 323-run stand in the first innings, totaling 515 runs overall—a new record for the most runs by an opening pair in a five-day game.

Furthermore, Conway became just the 10th batter in Test history to score a double century and a century in the identical game.

He joined the ranks of legends like Greg Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar, Graham Gooch, Brian Lara, and Kumar Sangakkara in achieving this remarkable feat.

Match Context

Earlier on day four, the Windies were bowled out for 420, trailing by 155 runs, before Latham and Conway returned to bat.

Along with knocks from Kane Williamson (40) and Rachin Ravindra (46), the New Zealand top order propelled their side to 306-2 before a declaration, leaving the visitors a formidable 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.

Jennifer Barker
Jennifer Barker

Elara is a passionate writer and naturalist who crafts evocative tales inspired by the wilderness and human experiences.