#OTD in 2021 | Devon Conway became the sixth batter to hit a double hundred on Test debut

On this Day in 2021, Devon Conway completed a double hundred on his Test debut against England at Lord’s and became the sixth batter to achieve this unique feat. It was also the highest individual score in a Debut Test fixture in England.

Conway made his first-class and List-A debut for the Gauteng team in 2009. 

However, he nowhere came close to representing the South Africa team in international cricket. So, in 2017, the southpaw decided to move to New Zealand in search of better opportunities. 

Soon, he was awarded a contract with the Wellington Cricket Board in 2018. In his debut Plunket Shield season, the left-handed batter was the leading run-getter with 659 runs in seven innings. 

He followed it by 456 runs in five innings of the next edition and again emerged as the top batter with 701 runs in seven innings of 2020/21. This consistency earned him a national call-up. 

It was the first fixture of the 2-match red-ball series between England and New Zealand, which kickstarted on June 2. 

The likes of Tom Latham (23), Kane Williamson (13), and Ross Taylor (14) could not provide a notable contribution. However, Conway was up to his task and survived and thrived in the first two sessions. 

The southpaw hit a delightful flick in the third session to complete his century. At the end of the Day’s play, New Zealand were at 246/3, with Conway at 136* and Henry Nicholls at 46*. 

On June 3, only Neil Wagner (25*) could contribute and gave good support to the team. Conway completed his double hundred in the second session with a controlled six on towards the backward square-leg boundary. He displayed tremendous confidence and technique throughout his innings. 

However, he was soon run out, and the team was dismissed for a score of 379. While the match ended as a draw, the subsequent fixture witnessed New Zealand winning the game by eight wickets. 

Conway has amassed 767 runs in 7 matches of the red-ball cricket at an average of 63.91, with three centuries. He has done well in the ODI and T20I format and has cemented his opening slot in the Kiwi team.