NZ Openers Break Test Match Records Versus West Indies
Third Test, Mount Maunganui (the fourth day 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 etched their names in the record books by becoming the first openers 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 series decider, while Conway added to 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 five-day game.
Furthermore, Conway joined an elite club in Test history to score a double century and a century in the identical game.
He emulated 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, 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 openers propelled their side to 306-2 before a declaration, leaving the visitors a near-impossible 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.