Double delight for Firebirds batsman
Wellington Firebirds batsman Devon Conway looks every bit a Black Cap in waiting.
South African-born Conway again demonstrated his class and ability to bat for long periods, hitting a career-best 261 not out on the opening day of their second round Plunket Shield match against Canterbury at the Basin Reserve yesterday.
Conway is eligible for the Black Caps in September 2020, which will mark three years since he and partner Kim moved from Johannesburg and settled in Wellington.
The 28-year-old has been a runscoring machine in all forms for the Firebirds since arriving in the capital, being named New Zealand Cricket’s men’s domestic player of the season last summer.
Last season, he was the top Plunket Shield run scorer, amassing 659 at 82.37 with two centuries and two fifties, including 203 not out against Otago.
Conway is firmly on the radar of the New Zealand Cricket talent spotters. He was one of 24 cricketers summoned to Lincoln, near Christchurch, for intra-squad T20 matches earlier this month with the 2020 Twenty20 World Cup looming in Australia in October-November next year.
Yesterday was Conway’s day at the Basin, getting Wellington out of an ugly situation, where they were 5-2, then 54-4, to a commanding
position of 415-6 at stumps.
The left-hander, who batted at three, eclipsed his previous highest first-class score of 205 not out. It was against a decent Canterbury attack too, comprising New Zealand internationals, seamer Matt Henry and legspinner Todd Astle.
Conway hit 36 fours and five sixes, facing 298 balls, batting six and a half hours. His unbeaten 261 is fifth on Wellington’s list for highest first-class scores.
Today, Conway will resume eyeing Michael Papps’ record of 316 not out, achieved against Auckland in 2017-18.
The remaining two Plunket Shield matches of the round begin today. Otago host Auckland at Dunedin’s University Oval, while Northern Districts and Central Districts meet at Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui.
Wellington 415-6 (Devon Conway 261no, Malcolm Nofal 45, Peter Younghusband 36; Matt Henry 3-81) met Canterbury.