Devon Conway has squeezed a 23,000-mile dash to Wellington into the short gap between Lord’s and The Oval, keen to be beside his wife, Kim, for the arrival of their second child. New Zealand expect him back in London well before the second Test, which starts next Wednesday.
A short statement from the team summed it up: “BLACKCAPS batter Devon Conway has briefly returned home to New Zealand to welcome the birth of his second child. Conway will spend some time at home with family before flying back to London ahead of the second Test against England at The Oval, starting Wednesday 17 June.”
Conway’s personal timetable is tight but manageable. The squad were granted a few days off after the 115-run defeat at Lord’s – a low-scoring affair in which the left-hander made 1 and 41 – and the first proper training session at The Oval is not until Friday. They’ll down tools again on Saturday, then have three more build-ups before the match. In other words, as long as flights run to schedule, Conway should walk straight back in at the top of the order.
Attention now shifts to the attack. Matt Henry’s back spasms on day one at Lord’s left Tom Latham juggling his bowlers and, ultimately, a touch light. The captain sounded reasonably upbeat afterwards. “I think it’s a day-by-day case with Henners,” Latham said. “Fingers crossed, he keeps progressing the way he has from day one to where he is now [on day four]. We’ve got a little bit of extra time now to hopefully get him right and then, fingers crossed, we’ll have a full bowling attack to pick from again.”
Henry’s recovery, plus Conway’s long-haul dash, are New Zealand’s main concerns. England, of course, have their own off-field distractions – Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson are out after a late-night incident, while Joe Root steps in as stand-in skipper – but the visitors will try to keep eyes firmly on bat and ball.
For now, the Black Caps simply hope the newest Conway arrives on time and the flight back is a smooth one.
