While there will be few in the Black Caps celebrating a broken finger for wicketkeeper Tim Seifert, it presents a chance Devon Conway can take with both hands against the West Indies.
And with spots at next year’s Twenty20 World Cup on the line, it’s a chance Conway can’t afford to squander.
The 34-year-old has become a casualty of New Zealand’s top-order batting squeeze, with the trio of Seifert, Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra expected to occupy those spots come next year’s World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
That squeeze has already accounted for Kane Williamson, who has retired from T20 Internationals, saying the future of the side was in good hands.
But in a sport where opportunity is just as important as ability, Seifert’s injury – suffered playing for Northern Districts – gives Conway the chance to break back into the Black Caps’ first-choice top three, before New Zealand’s provisional World Cup squad is named.
So far this summer, the Black Caps’ playing stocks have been hit by one injury after another. However, as a sign of a strong dressing room under coach Rob Walter, the players stepping in have for the most part stolen the show.
Against Australia, the pair of Tim Robinson and Jimmy Neesham both excelled in Ravindra’s injury absence, with a century and four-wicket haul respectively.
Then, against England, Kyle Jamieson’s withdrawal only opened the door for Zak Foulkes, before Matt Henry’s tight calf paved the way for Blair Tickner to inspire wins in Hamilton and Wellington, to be named man-of-the-series.
Despite Canterbury’s Mitch Hay being called into the Black Caps to replace Seifert, captain Mitchell Santner confirmed it’ll be Conway who will wear the gloves against the West Indies on Wednesday.
And with World Cup spots up for grabs, Santner backs Conway to put his hand up.
“The environment we try to create is [one where] guys can come in, feel at home, and perform straight away,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for Dev. It’s our last home T20 series before we start going away and thinking about the World Cup.
“Dev’s shown his class before and I’m sure he’ll show it again. You’re thinking about guys who’ve performed in conditions that we’ll most likely get – Dev and Kane – these guys have performed in the IPL.
“We’ve seen Indian tours now, where pitches might be flat, but they might be a bit tricky, [it’s the] same in Sri Lanka.
“That’s all part of the focus going forward. First things first, win against a very good West Indies team. Then our focus will shift to potentially what we’re going to get when that [World Cup] schedule comes out.”
Despite bursting on to the scene in late 2020 as an all-format standout, the last couple of seasons have been tough for Conway. While his first two years in T20 Internationals saw him average 58 and 47.55 runs respectively, those numbers drop to 22.85 in 2024 and 27 in 2025.
But after stepping in for the injured Williamson in the final one-dayer against England, Conway looked close to being back to his best in an opening stand of 78 in 77 balls with Ravindra. However, as a big score beckoned, Conway was run out via a Ravindra drive deflected back on to the stumps by Jamie Overton.
Regardless, even coming in a different format, Conway’s innings against England – which included two sixes against Jofra Archer – should serve as a warning for his next opponents.
And boasting a batting average of 43.40 in T20s against the West Indies, captain Shai Hope knows exactly what to expect from Conway.
“I’ve played against him a few times, I’ve watched him closely,” Hope said. “I love players like that, nice classical stroke-makers. I’m in favour of those types of players.
“He’s one we’ve got to dislodge as early as we can, we understand how important he can be to that batting line-up.”
At a time where Santner concedes the bulk of New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad has been picked, Williamson’s retirement does bode well for Conway. As batting cover for the top three, as well as wicketkeeper, Conway is a luxury that few teams in the world possess.
Despite only debuting in 2020, he has already played at three T20 World Cups, one 50-over World Cup, a Champions Trophy and New Zealand’s victorious World Test Championship final in 2021.
On top of that, Conway’s also well-versed in franchise cricket, with stints in India, South Africa, England and the USA for good measure.
Promisingly, his time in India has seen him play three seasons for the Chennai Super Kings, with a batting average of 43.20, and a strike rate of just under 140 – in the same conditions the World Cup will be played in.
And while this series will be the final T20 International assignment before the provisional World Cup squad, Conway will also get next year’s South African SA20 for Durban’s Super Giants as a warm-up.
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.