New Delhi. In March 2017, 26-year-old Devon Conway scored the first double century in domestic cricket at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. This was the last home match for the Proteas player on South African soil. After this he was going to be from New Zealand, where his luck was going to be four moons. The same thing happened and on the strength of his hard work, he did what he might not have been able to do by living in South Africa. However, for this he even sold his house and car.
Despite performing brilliantly in domestic cricket, this left-handed batsman did not even get a chance in franchise cricket, leave the national team of South Africa. He played 12 matches for the Lions, scoring one half-century. He also used to be in and out of South Africa’s home teams. Talking to Cricinfo, he had said, “I was always in and out of the team.” He had said this to Wellington, because he had settled there.
Devon Conway had told, “My place in the team was not fixed. I was batting in different positions too. In T20s I would open. In ODIs, I would bat at No. 5. In four-day matches, If someone was outside, I would probably be in. I have batted in all kinds of positions, sometimes at No. 7. I don’t even bowl. Lack of clarity and my own inconsistency pushed me down the pecking order. I can’t proceed with my case, so I thought it was best to move on.”
He explained that going to Kolpak seemed the most obvious option, as he had played in England for more than half a decade as an overseas professional, but chose New Zealand because of his best friend, fellow South African domestic player Malcolm. He was encouraged by Knopfl and Michael Rippon, going there himself for cricket. Conway only wanted to keep the joy of playing cricket alive. Then he did not even imagine that he would start playing for New Zealand.
He continued, “(Before the Wanderers game) I was playing golf with my wife, Kim, when I told her: ‘I don’t think my game is going anywhere here’ and said I would be interested in going to New Zealand. ” So he said, ‘Let’s do it.’ I thought she was joking, but she wasn’t. I realized you’re only young once, so we should gamble. I don’t think it’s a decision we will never regret.”
While his talent was not respected by the home team in South Africa, he was praised as a top order batsman in New Zealand. He first scored runs in domestic cricket in New Zealand and then when he got a chance to play for the Kiwi team, he started amassing runs. After T20 International cricket, he played ODI cricket for New Zealand and finally got a chance in Test cricket, where he made history by scoring a double century in the debut match against England.
Conway was in the running for a South Africa Under-19 berth in 2010, coming in the same batch as Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma, while they both played for South Africa, with Conway struggling for a place in franchise cricket. Conway arrived in Wellington in August 2017. He joined Victoria University Cricket Club in dual capacity as player and coach. Within four days of landing in the country, he had found housing and had “fallen in love with Wellington”.
He said, “I sold my property, car and everything that we could not bring, because I wanted to close that chapter and start anew. If I had not done so and my cricket after one season. Had it not been okay, I might have gone back and started thinking along the lines, which is not what I wanted.” The same story of Devon Conway has been shared by former South African team captain AB de Villiers on his Instagram.
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