NZ vs WI: Conway Added As Cover For Watling For 1st Test

New Zealand has added Devon Conway in their squad as an injury cover for regular wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling, who has picked up a hamstring niggle ahead of the two-match Test series against the West Indies team which begins Thursday at the Seddon Park.

Watling picked up the injury in the opening round of the Ford Trophy, New Zealand Cricket informed on Tuesday.

"We have another injury cover. Devon Conway is here as cover for BJ Watling, who has a slight hamstring niggle that he picked up the day before (Sunday) in his last Ford Trophy match. What that would mean is that Tom Blundell would take the gloves if BJ is ruled out, and bat in the middle order. So that is why we had Conway at training today," New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said.

However, Conway could have to wait longer for a debut even if Watling is ruled out as Will Young is likely to get the nod ahead of him for the series opener.

Conway is South African by birth and lived in Johannesburg before shifting to New Zealand in 2017. While he performed well at the provincial-level first-class cricket, his performance at the highest first-class level in South Africa, the franchise cricket, was below par, forcing him to switch to a different country for better international opportunities.

In South Africa's domestic cricket, he did extremely well for Gauteng provincial side averaging over 53 in 52 first-class matches but his average slipped to 21.29 from 12 first-class games for Lions at the highest franchise level. In T20 cricket too, while he averaged a shade above 46 for Gauteng, his average got stuck at 21.5 for Lions.

New Zealand, who won the three-match T20I series 2-0 with the third game being washed out, have already lost Colin de Grandhomme for the entire series, and first-choice spinner Ajaz Patel for the opening Test due to injuries.