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Conway rises from gradie to Black Caps ace

3 minute read

Batting sensation Devon Conway has made no secret of his desire to play Test cricket for the Black Caps after his brilliant T20 knock against Australia.

It didn't take long for Victoria University of Wellington Cricket Club captain Matt Fowler to realise their new player-coach - and now Black Caps sensation - Devon Conway could bat a bit.

The local outfit pounced on Conway in 2017 after the South African expressed an interest in moving to New Zealand.

Fowler said one moment stood out on Conway's journey from grade cricketer to international talent.

"It was a two-dayer and we'd been inserted on a green seamer. We were 6-28 and Dev was the one surviving batsman," he said.

"He worked with the other guys, rotating the strike ... he made 180 and we declared on 326."

Conway soon debuted in the domestic NZ competition and has been piling on the runs ever since.

His latest knock of 99 not out in Monday night's T20 clash with Australia shocked the tourists - but very few in Wellington.

The 29-year-old finished the Super Smash, NZ's equivalent of the BBL, with monster unbeaten innings of 69, 91 and 93, in the final, as Wellington powered to the title.

The modest Conway, who speaks softly and often mentions "how blessed" he is, seemed more enthused by another first from Christchurch.

"It was nice to bat alongside Kane (Williamson, NZ captain) for the first time ... I was pretty excited about that," he said.

After seven T20 caps, the left-handed batter is being tipped to make the Black Caps squad for October's T20 World Cup in India.

On his trajectory, breaking into the world No.1 Test side seems inevitable.

"You just have to ride that wave as long as it lasts," he said.

"It's been a dream of mine from a young age to play Test cricket but realistically if you look at that Test team at the moment there's no real space for me, which is understandable.

"The guys there are world class players. They've won a couple of series on the bounce.

"I've just got to be grateful for the opportunity to play in the T20s and if the chance comes to play red ball cricket I'll take that with both hands."

In Wellington, VUWCC president Colin Owens said the club was chuffed - even if Conway never fulfilled his original coaching deal.

"He played his first Firebirds game six months after he arrived. We were hoping to have him for at least a season," he said.

"In the few months he played he scored two or three hundreds. And they were big hundreds. He got noticed.

"From the first pre-season training you could certainly tell he wouldn't be in club cricket very long."

Conway has started to repay VUWCC - donating his $500 man of the match award to the club.

"I owe everything to them," he said.

Fowler also saw the funny side.

"There's an irony in that he was too good and he got snapped up, but we're incredibly proud as a club," he said.

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