New Zealand Opening Batsmen Rewrite Test Milestones Against West Indies

Cricket action
Tom Latham and Devon Conway have given the Kiwis a dominant lead.

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 etched their names in the record books by becoming the initial opening pair in Test match history to hit hundreds in each innings of a match, leaving the West Indies a massive 462-run target for victory.

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

The partnership had constructed 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 joined an elite club in Test history to score a double hundred and a hundred in the same match.

He followed legends like Greg Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar, Graham Gooch, Brian Lara, and Kumar Sangakkara in securing this extraordinary feat.

Match Context

Earlier on day four, the Windies were dismissed for 420, trailing by 155 runs, before Latham and Conway again took to the crease.

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

Curtis Davis
Curtis Davis

Elena Hartwell is a freelance writer and tech enthusiast exploring the intersection of innovation and everyday life.