New Zealand Opening Batsmen Rewrite Test Milestones Versus 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 register tons in each innings of a match, setting the West Indies a record 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 precise 100 in the second.

The partnership had shared a massive 323-run stand in the first innings, combining for 515 runs overall—a fresh benchmark for the highest aggregate an opening pair in a single Test match.

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

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

Game Situation

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

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, setting the visitors a near-impossible target of 462 to win and level the series.

At the stumps, West Indies openers had reached 43-0, with John Campbell digging in to score two runs from 50 balls, while Brandon King made 37.

Victor Snyder
Victor Snyder

Mara Visser is a seasoned journalist and editor based in Amsterdam, specializing in Dutch politics and social trends.