Devon Conway will miss New Zealand’s third and final Test against England this week because he is expecting his first child. The opener will stay in Wellington to be with his family after the Black Caps lost the series by 323 runs in the second Test.
The Ben Stokes-led England team has dominated the hosts, winning the first Test by eight wickets and then winning the second Test by a massive margin to take the three-match Test series to New Zealand with an unbeaten 2-0 lead.
New Zealand suffered a first series win by England at home since 2008 and it was a huge blow to their chances to qualify for the WTC 2025 final after they had whitewashed India in a historic Test series win before this.
Will Young, who was named player of the series on last month’s historic tour of India with 244 runs at 48.40, will most likely start in Conway’s absence. Young has been a spectator for the last fortnight as England stormed to an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Devon Conway is to miss the third Test against England, a replacement named
The teams are now preparing for the third and final Test, which will take place on December 14 at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The New Zealand cricket squad will arrive in Hamilton on Wednesday (December 11), determined to rescue their pride in the last Test against England.
However, ahead of the Hamilton Test, the Black Caps have received another setback after losing the home Test series to England, as opening batter Devon Conway has decided to miss the third and final Test at Seddon Park due to the birth of his child.
The NZC said in an official statement: “BLACKCAPS opener Devon Conway will miss the third Tegel Test against England as he awaits the birth of his first child in Wellington this week. Conway will be replaced in the Test squad by Auckland Aces batter Mark Chapman, who will join up with the team in Hamilton ahead of Saturday’s third and final Tegel Test.”
Squad News | Devon Conway will miss the third Tegel Test against England as he awaits the birth of his first child in Wellington this week. #NZvENGhttps://t.co/TqtneR7SrH
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 8, 2024
Auckland Aces batter Mark Chapman was drafted in as a replacement.
“Family comes first in this environment and we’re all really excited for Dev and his wife Kim to welcome their first child. Mark was with the Test squad in India recently and returned to the Plunket Shield by scoring an impressive 276 – so it’s a good time for him to be joining us,” Gary Stead said in a statement.
Chapman, who was also part of the Kiwi squad on the India tour, scored 276 runs in the Plunket Shield, and the coach feels his inclusion in the Test squad is timely and well-deserved.
Farewell for Tim Southee on home ground
Black Caps captain Tom Latham remained tight-lipped about potential alterations for Friday’s encounter at Seddon Park. The squad will meet in Hamilton on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s fixture, with Latham eager to assess the conditions at Seddon Park before deciding on a different balance of XIs after remaining unchanged for the first two Tests.
Given the venue’s flat surfaces, left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner may be considered. Tim Southee, who will retire from Test cricket at the end of the series, should have his goodbye on his home ground.
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