Black Caps missed a trick
Conway should have been tried as a test opener
It’s been a great summer for the New Zealand cricket team who — like something out of a crazy dream — stand atop the test rankings. But I also think they seriously missed a trick by not dreaming a little, taking a very slight punt, and promoting Devon Conway as a test opener.
The South African, who qualified to play for New Zealand late last year, isn’t a youngster on the rise.
At 29, there’s still time for him to make a telling impact on the world stage, but it will be a truncated career. Time is of the essence, and there are no more tests this summer.
As well as New Zealand are playing at home, they still need to push the envelope to translate that overseas.
Conway bats big. He is a man with an appetite for massive scores, and every cricket expert or aficionado you talk to raves about his potential.
He’s a No 3 for Wellington but has undoubted test opener potential, and the leap would not have been too big against the touring West Indian and Pakistan teams.
This was the perfect summer to build his test confidence and reveal his work-ons, against average sides in conditions he knows and loves.
Compared with our long history of selection crimes and misdemeanours involving our openers, Conway rated a safe bet. His potential is sensational.
The national selectors took a conservative route retaining Tom Blundell, probably believing he was a reliable bet to give the wondrous Kane Williamson enough protection from the new ball.
But Blundell’s test contribution is pretty average, apart from a couple of notable spikes. He’s the wicketkeeper in waiting.
New Zealand have made so much progress in so many areas, including depth, but the opening combination is only adequate, and Tom Latham has yet to fire against the Australians.
Everyone involved in
New Zealand’s test rise deserves overwhelming praise and credit. They have played the home advantage system perfectly.
There has been a lot of clever calculation, but the imagination was found wanting over Conway’s non-selection.