Latham and Conway Rewrite Record Books in England Test Series

Tom Latham and Devon Conway shared a 317-run opening partnership at Trent Bridge, breaking multiple Test records during New Zealand’s series against England.

Tom Latham-Devon Conway-NZ vs ENG 2026 Test series (Image Source: Google)

Various new milestones were created during the recently played three Test series between England and New Zealand. The most outstanding and effective among them were Tom Latham (151: His 17th Test century, which drew him level with Martin Crowe) and Devon Conway (157: His 8th century) sharing a 317-run opening stand at Trent Bridge in the third Test. They batted around 72 overs and ultimately contributed 72.4 percent of their first innings total in punishing fashion: 108-0 by lunch, 213-0 by tea and then got separated only at 317.

Latham and Conway, one of the best opening pairs in Tests, have so far recorded six 100-plus partnerships for the first wicket (New Zealand record), overtaking the pair of John Wright and Trevor Franklin (5) and are the only Kiwi pair to have added 2000-plus Test partnership runs. This time, they both scored 150-plus runs and are only the second opening pair to record the feat in England (First: Graeme Smith 277 and Herschelle Gibbs 179 in 2003 at Birmingham). Incidentally, Latham recorded his seventh 150-plus score in Tests (all as an opener), followed by Conway's four.

Ben Stokes’s return to the England side was welcomed by the visitors by racking up 361 for four at the end of a hot first day. The 317-run opening stand created many new and astonishing milestones:

*A new record for a New Zealand opening pair in England (Previous record: 185, John Wright and Trevor Franklin, Lord’s in 1990).
* The last instance of a 300-plus visitor opening stand (South Africa: Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs 338, Edgbaston in 2003) had seen the end of Nasser Hussain's tenure as England captain and this time, Ben Stokes announced his retirement during the Test.

The only other visitor opening pair to share a 300-run partnership in a Test in England was: Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor added 329 for Australia, Nottingham in 1989.
* A new partnership record for any wicket by a New Zealand pair against England (Previous record: 276 runs for the first wicket, Stewie Dempster and Jackie Mills, Wellington in 1930).
* This is the third-highest opening stand for New Zealand in Tests:
- 387 :Terry Jarvis and Glenn Turner against West Indies, Georgetown in 1972.
- 323: Tom Latham and Devon Conway against West Indies, Mount Maunganui in 2025.
* England have not been a very generous side in conceding 300-plus partnerships in recent years:
- Latham and Conway are the first to do so for any wicket since 2017 (Steven Smith and Mitchell Marsh 301 at the WACA for fifth wicket).
- They are the first visiting pair to do so for any wicket since 2012 (Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis 377* at The Oval for third wicket).

New Zealand, however, failed to encash on the record opening stand and were bowled out for 438, one of the lowest scores containing a 300 plus opening partnership:

- England 608 included a 359-run stand (Len Hutton and Cyril Washbrook v South Africa, 1948).
- England 589 included a 323-run stand (JB Hobbs and Wilfred Rhodes v Australia, 1912).

Another surprise: In the New Zealand second innings, the opening stand was of 4 runs only resulting in a difference of 313 runs between opening partnerships. Only one opening pair has recorded a larger difference between the opening partnership of a team in a Test (At Bridgetown in 1965, Australia’s Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson shared a 382 and 7-run stand, resulting in a difference of 375 runs).

After a 317-run opening partnership, when New Zealand ended the first day’s play at 361/4, England had hoped to see a repeat of The Oval 2003, when South Africa passed 300 for one wicket but finished the first day on 362/4. England then not only took a first-innings lead, also won by 9 wickets.

In New Zealand's total of 438 runs, the opening partnership contributed to 72.4 percent, and this is the third-most in Tests for all-out totals.
- West Indies 74.8 percent – 276-0 to 365 against New Zealand, Hamilton 1999/00
* India 72.9 percent – 124-0 to 170 against England, Manchester 1946.

Also, Ben Stokes didn’t do what David Gower had done at Trent Bridge in 1989. When Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor's opening partnership of 329 runs finally ended on the second morning, in a relieved mood at lunch, the England captain, David Gower, had ordered a champagne with the announcement, ‘We have taken a wicket.’