Conway marks Test debut with Lord's hundred

AFP, London

New Zealand's Devon Conway joined a select group of cricketers on Wednesday by marking his Test debut with a hundred at Lord's.

The South Africa-born opener found himself thrust into the action straight away after New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and batted in the first of a two-match series against England.

But while star batsman Williamson and the experienced Ross Taylor both fell cheaply, the 29-year-old Conway pressed on to a 163-ball century, reaching the landmark with a flamboyant whipped legside four, his 11th boundary, off England debutant fast bowler Ollie Robinson.

At stumps, Conway had made an unbeaten 136 in a total of 246-3, having shared an unbroken partnership of 132 with fellow left-hander Henry Nicholls (46 not out).

Only five other batsmen had previously scored a Test debut hundred at Lord's, with Conway the first New Zealand international to achieve the feat.

 

Batsmen to have scored Test debut hundred at Lord's (player, total, team, opposition, year):

Harry Graham     107      AUS v ENG  1893

John Hampshire   107      ENG v WIS  1969

Sourav Ganguly   131      IND v ENG  1996

Andrew Strauss   112      ENG v NZL  2004

Matt Prior       126 no   ENG v WIS  2007

Devon Conway     136 no   NZL v ENG  2021

Note: Conway's innings still in progress