New Zealand Opening Batsmen Rewrite Test Match Milestones Against WI

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

Final 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 made history by becoming the initial opening pair 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 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 put on a massive 323-run stand in the first innings, amassing 515 runs overall—a unprecedented total for the highest aggregate an opening pair in a single Test match.

Furthermore, Conway joined an elite club 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 achieving this extraordinary feat.

Game Situation

Earlier on day four, the Windies were dismissed for 420, facing a deficit of 155 runs, before Latham and Conway resumed their partnership.

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 was more aggressive on 37.

Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith

Elena Voss is a city culture writer and urban explorer who uncovers the hidden gems of metropolitan life.