New Zealand cricket history was being rewritten today after Devon Conway and Tom Latham created a history of their own 323-run start against West Indies in 86.4 overs at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.
Captain Tom Latham won the toss on a very unique occasion amidst New Zealand on their home as the captain opted to bat first in the decision, having never done so since 2011. The risk paid off in a grandiose way because the left hand combination had batted and batted its way through the entire sessions largely without defeat until at one point New Zealand was leading 334/1 with Devon Conway at the butt winning and Latham at the podder going away just ahead of the tension before the session ended.
Tom Latham and Devon Conway record breaking
There are various records of the partnership. There is a preview of all the records that have been broken down by the flamboyant first partnership.
World Records:
Most opening partnership in ICC World Test Championship history (surpassed Rohit Sharma/ussiawal 317 india vs South African, 2019)
Highest 12 th joint opening partnership in Test cricket history.
It has only ever been reached in 148 years of Test matches by the 16th opening partnership of 300+.
Partnership by in Test cricket, highest at 2025.
New Zealand records:
Second highest opening partnership in NZ test history (only second highest to Turner/Jarvis 387 vs West Indies, 1972)
Most opening partnership on New Zealand soil (overtaken by Dumpster/Mills 276 vs England, 1930 – a record of 95 years)
The 8 th partnership of 300+ is the only one that has operated in the history of NZ Tests.
Conway-Latham were the most productive opening duo in NZ: 1,721 runs in 43 innings (bettered Wright/Edgar 1,655 in 56 innings)
Venue records:
Most partnerships in any wicket at Bay Oval (surpassed Watling/Santner 261 vs England, 2019)
Opening partnership of 200 plus at Bay Oval.
Initial partnership of 300 and above partnership opens Bay Oval.
Devon Conway made 178 not out off 279 balls including 25 boundaries in his sixth century in his Tests and his first hundred in his homeland since January 2022. In 137, Latham had 15 fours and a six out of 246, and this too was in a textbook style which defeated the bowling attack of the West Indies.
The union was carried out in an unremitting precision. Having faced an opening volley that saw the west Indians get only 11 runs off in eight overs, Devon Conway and Tom Latham slackened an all-or-nothing pace. They eclipsed their 200 run record of the 54th over, their 95-year record of 277 in the 72nd over, and the 300 in the 80th over.
It was the fourth-longest it took West Indies to take a first wicket in Tests during this century as their bowlers worked around the clock with impunity as New Zealand openers batted on impunity. This historic alliance has given the hosts all the control of the match as Conway continues to be at the crease and looking to clean up every century.
This performance is a critical one in the career of Conway who has had difficulties in being consistent in the recent past periods with two-thirds of his 39 Test performances so far being terminated before 30 runs. Nevertheless, he minimized any pressure on himself. I only attempt to make myself remember that – just keep on doing that – no worry over the runs. All you need to do is to continue with the idea of doing a job in a team and doing a role. I am glad that it worked out in my favor today, but I have to continue working on being present and just, as I say, playing a role on behalf of the team, he said.
The problem of opening the batting especially in New Zealand conditions was also recognised by Conway. The job is very underappreciated not only in this country. Yeah, it has been a tough ride. You arrive, very often, on Test match day one, and you find it is all green,” observed the captain.
He glorified his initial partner, who said, It is already in your mind, well it will fall pieces here in this pitch. I believe, much of it must be attributed to a player such as Tom Latham, who played 90 or so Tests, and he has not done badly. I believe it is his 15 th Test century and many of his centuries have been here in New Zealand.
Conway stressed the necessity of discipline. I believe you have to simply attempt and prod yourself into a nice position and seek to score since there is most likely a ball here in New Zealand with your name on it. You must have been a disciplined person.
Conway has left the highest Test score of his career at the double century that he performed when he first played by his debut. On Day 2, he will pick up, only 22 short of that mark, but he emphasized that it is not personal records that he is concerned about. I suppose you see too much ahead, especially when he was batting, I suppose you can get into trouble, he thought. In my opinion, we as a batting group should continue to put (West Indies bowlers) under pressure. Wait like hell until that wicket becomes flatter and then we will provide our spinners with a chance to play part after the Test.
To deal with this, he is to the point, now, as he only needs to go out there and play the ball while he is in the process and just continue doing what he is doing, which is to build a partnership with others on the other side.
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