Black Caps opener Devon Conway out of 1st test vs Australia
Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Black Caps batter Devon Conway won’t play the 1st test vs Australia.
The opener injured his left thumb while wicketkeeping in a T20 between the two sides in Auckland last Friday.
Conway will have further consultation on the damage to see if he will be able to play the 2nd test in Christchurch.
Black Caps opener Devon Conway will miss the first test against Australia, starting at the Basin Reserve on Thursday, due to a thumb injury.
Conway had additional scans in Wellington on Tuesday that revealed damage to his left thumb, which he injured while wicketkeeping in NZ’s T20 against Australia in Auckland last Friday.
Will Young, who batted at No 5 in New Zealand’s second-test win over South Africa in Hamilton earlier this month with Daryl Mitchell out injured and made an unbeaten 60 in the side’s second innings, will replace Conway as Tom Latham’s opening partner.
Former test regular Henry Nicholls has been called into the squad as batting cover and joined the team in Wellington for training on Wednesday morning.
Another update will be provided later in the week following further medical consultation to ascertain the extent of Conway’s injury and the final diagnosis.
The second test between the two sides starts in Christchurch on March 8.
Black Caps captain Tim Southee said the NZ XI for the first test will be decided after assessing the Basin Reserve pitch and figuring out whether the team will be better equipped with four pace bowlers, or three quicks and the left-arm spin of Mitchell Santner.
With batters Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips as spin options, that may open the door for a second test appearance for experienced seamer Scott Kuggeleijn.
“It helps the balance of the side when you've got guys in the top seven that are able to help out with the ball as well,” Southee said on Wednesday afternoon.
Black Caps head coach Gary Stead said the team was feeling for Conway.
“It’s disappointing for Devon to be ruled out on the eve of an important match,.
“He’s a class player batting at the top of the order for us and I know he was really looking forward to this series.”
Conway had been struggling badly for runs this summer but made 63 from 46 balls in the first game of the three-match T20 series, before the injury sidelined him during game two.
On Tuesday, veteran pace bowler Neil Wagner made a shock announcement that he was retiring from international cricket. Wagner is part of the squad for the first test but will be released ahead of the second test at Hagley Oval.
Nicholls has played 56 tests for New Zealand, but was dropped from the squad for the two tests against South Africa after failing to impress with the bat in the away series versus Bangladesh late last year.