Click here to vote for Devon Conway as the ICC Men’s Player of Month for June.

BY THE NUMBERS3 Tests
379 runs at 63.16.
High score of 200

DOMINATING ON TEST DEBUT

Devon Conway only made his international debut for New Zealand in November 2020.

His first taste of life as a Black Caps member was in T20I cricket and coincidentally it is the lone format in which he does not have a century – though he does have an unbeaten 99 in the format.

Having made his T20I debut last November and ODI debut in March, Conway was handed his maiden Test cap in June against England.

Having waited 29 years to play Test cricket, Conway grabbed his opportunity with both hands, making a brilliant 200 to write his name onto the Lord’s honours board.

It was a knock of serious gumption too, with the opener at the crease for the entirety of New Zealand’s innings. He carried them to a strong first innings total after their three most proven batters – Tom Latham (23), Kane Williamson (13) and Ross Taylor (14) – all fell after making starts. In total, he was at the crease for 578 minutes, hitting 22 fours and one six across 347 deliveries.

Having rarely looked too challenged by the bowling, it was fitting that his innings came to an end via run-out.

Three Tests into his career, Conway’s average sits at a healthy 63.16 to go alongside impressive means in the ODI (75) and T20I (59.12) formats.

TOP OF THE CHARTS IN THE WTC FINAL

Conway still had to make one more debut in June – the World Test Championship.

The opener’s first taste of Test cricket, against England, came in a series outside of the ICC World Test Championship but it locked him in to make his tournament debut in the decider.

And the southpaw proved a vital addition to the make-up of the Black Caps XI as he notched the highest score of the match.

Conway’s patient 54 off 153 was pivotal in a low-scoring encounter between the world’s two top Test teams.

Alongside Latham, he put on 70 runs for New Zealand’s opening stand in the first innings, without which the Black Caps would not have taken an all-important lead in the game.

A SPLASH ON THE RANKINGS

Courtesy of his double-century on debut, Conway made history by entering theICC Test batting rankings at 77th position with 447 rating points.

That is the highest rating ever attained by a New Zealand batter on Test debut and third-highest ever by a debutant from any nation. Conway only missed out on top-spot in the record books by two points, with England’s Tip Foster (449) and the West Indies’ Kyle Mayers (448) topping the list.

Conway has only gone in one direction since then and currently sits 43rd with 547 ratings points after just three Tests.

Click here to vote for Devon Conway as the ICC Men’s Player of Month for June.