Aspiring Black Cap shines brightly

Keep going like this and South African-born Devon Conway could be a Black Cap as early as 2020.

The Wellington top order batsman picked up where he finished off last summer, hitting 203 not out as the Firebirds continued their dominance over Otago on day two of their Plunket Shield match yesterday.

Wellington declared after posting a formidable 509-5 at the Basin Reserve and had Otago in all sorts of bother at 114-5 by stumps.

It was Conway’s day, kicking on after being 131 at the start of the day’s play, and bringing up his double hundred with a boundary off quick Nathan Smith, just before skipper Michael Bracewell called his batsmen in.

He hit 26 fours and two sixes in his unbeaten knock that will have caught the eye of New Zealand Cricket talent spotters.

Conway, 27, arrived in the capital in September 2017 with a dream of following in the footsteps of fellow South-African born cricketers like Grant Elliott, Neil Wagner, and Kruger van Wyk, who emigrated to New Zealand and eventually cracked the Black Caps.

Elsewhere, the sight of a healthy Adam Milne steaming in and taking wickets is a positive one for New Zealand Cricket.

Milne, who has endured a tough run with injuries in past summers, shone with 3-30 to put Central Districts in the driver’s seat against Auckland.

It was an encouraging showing from Milne, who is in New Zealand’s Twenty20 side to face Pakistan in the UAE later this month. If he can perform well there, he could be in the reckoning for one of the two spots left to fill in the Black Caps’ ODI squad against Pakistan.

Seth Rance, also in New Zealand’s T20 team, nabbed a three-for too as Auckland were skittled for 184 in response to CD’s first innings total of 360.

The Stags were 54-3 in their second innings at the close of play, giving them a decent lead of 230 runs.