New Zealand Openers Shatter Test Milestones Against West Indies

Cricket action
Tom Latham and Devon Conway have established a formidable advantage for their team.

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: Hodge 123 and 43-0

New Zealand's Tom Latham and Devon Conway achieved a historic first by becoming the initial opening pair in Test cricket to hit hundreds in both innings of a match, setting the West Indies a daunting 462-run target for victory.

Latham notched up 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 duo had shared a colossal 323-run stand in the first innings, amassing 515 runs overall—a unprecedented total for the most runs by an opening pair in a Test.

Furthermore, Conway became just the 10th batter in Test history to achieve a double century and a century in the same match.

He joined the ranks of 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 dismissed for 420, trailing by 155 runs, before Latham and Conway resumed their partnership.

Along with contributions from Kane Williamson (40) and Rachin Ravindra (46), the New Zealand openers propelled their side to 306-2 before a declaration, setting the visitors a formidable target of 462 to win and square 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 was more aggressive on 37.

Stephanie Smith
Stephanie Smith

Lena Voss is a fantasy writer and editor who explores the art of storytelling through magical narratives.