New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has confirmed a much-awaited test debut for Devon Conway, with dual allrounders Colin de Grandhomme and Mitchell Santner also right in the mix to face England on a drying Lord’s pitch.
On the eve of the first test, starting at 10pm (NZT) on Wednesday, Williamson said the South African left-hander would partner Tom Latham at the top of the order after a stunning debut summer in white ball cricket.
Williamson narrowed his 19-man squad down to 12, with de Grandhomme, Santner and seamer Matt Henry in the running for two spots alongside a pace lineup of Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner.
A decision on the XI will be made on match morning, with Santner’s left-arm spin looking an increasingly likely option with warm weather hitting London, and de Grandhomme in line for his first test since India in February last year.
As they stride onto Lord’s, every cricketers’ dream venue, in search of a second test win there from 18 attempts, Conway will be pinching himself a month short of his 30th birthday.
Since he settled in Wellington in September 2017, Conway averaged 66 in 22 first-class matches for Wellington and after qualifying for the Black Caps last August, averaged 59 across 14 T20 internationals last summer at a strike rate of 151. Plus an average of 75 from three ODIs against Bangladesh.
“A really exciting opportunity for Devon, being involved with the team over the last year in the white ball formats and gone extremely well,” Williamson said. “He’s an experienced player as well who’s played a lot of first-class cricket and batted in all the different positions and gets his opportunity to make his debut at the home of cricket.”
