After years of grind in domestic cricket, Devon Conway enjoys a dream debut

If scoring the most number of runs on debut is a parameter to define the best debut, Devon Conway had the 7th best in cricket history. An aggressive left-handed batter who enjoys batting at the top, Conway made his first-class debut ages ago for Gauteng in March 2009, when he was a teenager.

The first batsman to score a Test double-century on debut in England ?

Devon Conway, you beauty! #ENGvNZ | https://t.co/PyjT1jqj3I pic.twitter.com/CGaNWkrfDA

— ICC (@ICC) June 3, 2021

Having tried his level best to get name and recognition in the South African cricket circle, Conway represented a host of teams at the franchise and province level, before finding his feet in clubs, first-class, and finally international cricket. Although, not for South Africa, but New Zealand. He is not the first player who has gone on to represent a foreign nation, but with little going his way in his country, he had to choose to emigrate to New Zealand in search of opportunities.

Debut in international cricket

Conway is not even a year old in international cricket, having made his T20I debut against West Indies in November last year, while his ODI debut was against Bangladesh in March this year. He slammed a century in his third ODI at Basin Reserve to end the series with a whopping average of 75, amassing 225 runs to win the Player of the Series award against Bangladesh.

In his short, 14-match T20I career, Conway averages 59.13, having scored 473 runs from 11 innings, including four half-centuries, of which two are unbeaten 90s – 99* against Australia at Christchurch and 92* at Seddon Park against Bangladesh. With such promising performances already, it was not a surprise that the 29-year-old announced his Test arrival with equal style after he was chosen ahead of New Zealand’s regular opener Tom Blundell.

Coming out against arguably the most potent pace duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad at the iconic Lord’s against a new Dukes ball, Conway went about to do his business as if he was playing his 50th and not his first test. For someone who had waited for years on the sidelines, patience is a virtue that Conway has mastered. And he showed it in plenty during his 347-ball knock that lasted 578 minutes.

His 200-run knock is only the second instance of a New Zealand batter scoring a double century on debut, while it is the highest score by a Test debutant in England. Conway, who added 174 with Henry Nicholls in a gritty partnership, scored more than half his side’s runs (200 out of 378), leading them with admirable responsibility in only his first Test in challenging away conditions. He followed his record-breaking double ton with a score of 23 to also name the record of aggregating most runs on Test debut as an opener.

After being a fringe player for years, patience and hard work are finally paying off for Conway.