Conway cracks double on debut
Devon seventh in Test history to score 200 in first knock
London, June 3: New Zealand opener Devon Conway made exactly 200 on Test debut before England slumped to 25-2 on the second day of the series opener at Lord’s on Thursday.
Conway was last man out in a first-innings total of 378 on the second day of this two-match series.
The South Africa-born left-hander was in sight of becoming the very first batsman in the 144-year history of Test cricket to carry their bat — bat throughout the entire innings — in their first knock in the format when he was run out to end a stay of more than nineand-a-half hours.
Nevertheless, it needed a review of a close call before it was confirmed that England captain Joe Root had taken the bails off in time.
Even so, Conway was only the seventh batsman to make a double hundred on Test debut.
Conway has also broken former India captain Sourav Ganguly’s 25-yearold record of registering the highest Test score on debut at Lord’s when he went past the stylish southpaw’s 131.
He faced 347 balls, with
22 fours and went to 200 in style when he hooked fast bowler Mark Wood for the only six of his innings.
New Zealand No. 11 Neil
Wagner, also born in South Africa, made 25 not out off 21 balls that included a superb straight six off Stuart Broad during an entertaining last-wicket stand
of 40. Sussex paceman Ollie Robinson, like Conway making his Test debut, led England’s attack with four wickets for 75 runs in 28 overs.
But New Zealand then
struck twice with the ball themselves.
Kyle Jamieson had Dom Sibley lbw for a duck with a ball that straightened to hit the opener on the back pad, the decision upheld on ‘umpire’s call’ after a review. But there was no room for doubt when Zak Crawley was caught behind off Tim Southee for two. —
BRIEF SCORES
Day 2, at Tea: New Zealand 378 in 122.4 overs (Devon Conway 200; Ollie Robinson 4/75) vs England 25/2 in 10 overs.