New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway broke the record for the highest opening partnership in the ICC World Test Championship with a commanding 323-run stand against the West Indies in Mount Maunganui.
Skipper Latham scored 137, his 15th Test century, while Conway remained unbeaten on 178, marking his sixth Test hundred. The partnership surpassed the previous WTC record of 317 set by India’s Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal against South Africa in 2019.
Latham eventually fell late on the first day to veteran West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach (1/63), leaving Conway at the crease with night-watcher Jacob Duffy, who was unbeaten on 9, as New Zealand closed the day at 334/1 in complete control of the third Test.
The stand is the equal 12th-highest opening partnership in the history of Test cricket and the highest for New Zealand since April 1972, when Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis combined for 387 against the West Indies in Guyana.
The record-breaking partnership highlighted New Zealand’s dominance, putting the West Indies’ bowling attack under severe pressure throughout the day. Latham and Conway’s performance underlined their ability to build big partnerships and control the game from the outset, providing a strong platform for the hosts to dictate proceedings in the series.
This stand also reinforces New Zealand’s recent WTC success, following their historic ICC World Test Championship Final win over India in 2021.
The pair’s achievement comes amid a competitive three-Test series, with the first Test drawn at Hagley Oval in Christchurch and the second scheduled at Basin Reserve, Wellington, from December 10-14. The third Test, where the record was set, runs from December 18-22 at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.
With Latham and Conway leading from the front, New Zealand aims to continue its strong performance and maintain dominance over the West Indies in the ongoing series.
