New Zealand Openers Shatter Test Match Records Versus WI

Cricket action — **Tom Latham** and **Devon Conway** have put New Zealand in a commanding position.

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 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 notched up 137 and 101 in this third and final Test, while Conway added to his mammoth 227 in the first innings with a precise 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 most runs by an opening pair in a Test.

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

He followed legends like Greg Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar, Graham Gooch, Brian Lara, and Kumar Sangakkara in achieving 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 contributions 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 formidable target of 462 to win and level the series.

At the close of play, 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.