New Zealand Opening Batsmen Rewrite Test Records Versus WI
Final Test, Mount Maunganui (day four of five)
- New Zealand 575-8 dec: 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 score centuries in both innings of a match, leaving the West Indies a massive 462-run target for victory.
Latham scored 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 put on a colossal 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 entered rare company in Test history to achieve a double hundred and a century in the same match.
He followed legends like Greg Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar, Graham Gooch, Brian Lara, and Kumar Sangakkara in achieving this remarkable 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 contributions 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 near-impossible target of 462 to win and level the series.
At the stumps, West Indies openers had reached 43-0, with John Campbell showing great patience to score two runs from 50 balls, while Brandon King was more aggressive on 37.
