Devon Conway playing for the Lions during the 2016 CSA T20 Challenge Hollywoodbets Dolphins and Bizhub Highveld Lions at Kingsmead Stadium, Durban South Africa on 16 Nomvember 2016 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
SA-born batsman takes step towards New Zealand debut
Devon Conway represented the Highveld Lions and the Dolphins before moving to New Zealand in 2017.
Devon Conway playing for the Lions during the 2016 CSA T20 Challenge Hollywoodbets Dolphins and Bizhub Highveld Lions at Kingsmead Stadium, Durban South Africa on 16 Nomvember 2016 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Former Dolphins and Highveld Lions opener Devon Conway will be eligible to represent New Zealand, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed.
The 26-year-old emigrated to the “Land of the Long White Cloud” in 2017, and has emerged as one of the country’s domestic circuit.
International cricket beckons for Devon Conway
After starring with the bat for Wellington, where he has averaged over 70 in First-Class cricket, he is in line to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Grant Elliot, Kruger van Wyk and Neil Wagner, who are all South Africans who have represented New Zealand.
The ICC confirmed that the player is only a handful of months away from being eligible to turn up for his adopted country.
“It’s really awesome to have that solid date, 28th of August, as a reminder to say that you’re pretty close,” Conway said on Tuesday. “In saying that, it doesn’t guarantee selection. So I am pretty happy to hear about that, but you’ve just got to keep working hard and hopefully get an opportunity to break into that Black Caps team, which is pretty awesome at the moment – you’ve got world-class players there, and it won’t be easy to get into that team.”
Devon Conway
Uncertainty over potential New Zealand debut
Conway admits to having mixed feelings about the latest announcement, due to the uncertainty about when it will be safe to make his debut, given the COVID-19 global pandemic.
“Obviously really happy to hear the news about my eligibility, but then again, in saying that, with regards to what’s happening at the moment throughout the world, just puts [everything] in perspective.”
Devon Conway
Conway made both his First-Class and List A debuts in 2009, playing in the second-tier competitions of South Africa’s domestic scene, representing Gauteng.
His first appearance in the game’s shortest format came in the colours of the Dolphins two years later.
Should he earn a call-up, he will be one of three South African players in the current New Zealand setup, along with Wagner and wicketkeeper and Wellington teammate BJ Watling, who represented the Kiwis in youth cricket.
