New Zealand's top order delivered a masterclass performance on the opening day of the third and final Test against West Indies at Bay Oval, as Devon Conway and captain Tom Latham stitched together a crushing 323-run opening partnership. The stand that put the hosts in complete control of the match was the joint 12th-highest opening partnership in Test cricket history and the eighth-best for any wicket by a New Zealand pair.
Conway and Latham finished the day just 65 runs shy of the team's opening-wicket Test record of 387, which was set more than five decades ago by Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis against the West Indies in Georgetown in 1972. Devon Conway was the standout performer, remaining unbeaten on 178 after facing 279 deliveries.
At the other end, skipper Tom Latham led from the front with a measured 137 from 246 balls. Latham's decision to bat after winning the toss paid off as openers made the most of favorable conditions. New Zealand finished the day with 334 for 1 at stumps on day 1. Notably, Ajaz Patel earned his first Test appearance on New Zealand soil in almost five years.