New Zealand has been playing the game of cricket since January 1930, when they played their first official game against England. They were the fifth nation to get “test status” in history. However, in their cricket history, New Zealand has had many glorified moments. The biggest one is probably winning the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.
Over the years, this team has had a number of brilliant records in test cricket. New Zealand has registered the third highest test partnership in test. The Black Caps recorded 467 runs for the third wicket. However, we will discuss more about some of the biggest partnerships for New Zealand here. This article will cover the top opening stands by the Kiwis in test cricket.
Highest Opening Partnership for New Zealand in Test
| Pair | Runs | Against | Venue | Date |
| Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis | 387 | West Indies | Georgetown | 6 Apr 1972 |
| Devon Conway and Tom Latham | 323 | West Indies | Mount Maunganui | 18 Dec 2025 |
| Stewie Dempster and Jackie Mills | 276 | England | Wellington | 24 Jan 1930 |
| Jeet Raval and Tom Latham | 254 | Bangladesh | Hamilton | 28 Feb 2019 |
| Mark Richardson and Lou Vincent | 231 | India | Mohali | 16 Oct 2003 |
| Craig Spearman and Roger Twose | 214 | Zimbabwe | Auckland | 20 Jan 1996 |
| Trevor Franklin and John Wright | 185 | England | Lord’s | 21 Jun 1990 |
| Tom Latham and Devon Conway | 183 | Pakistan | Karachi | 26 Dec 2022 |
| Mark Richardson and Matthew Bell | 181 | Pakistan | Hamilton | 27 Mar 2001 |
| Tom Latham and Martin Guptill | 169 | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 6 Aug 2016 |
| Mark Richardson and Stphen Fleming | 163 | England | Nottingham | 10 Jun 2004 |
4. Jeet Raval and Tom Latham (254 runs) vs Bangladesh in February 2019
New Zealand registered their 4th highest opening stand in February 2019 when they toured Bangladesh for three tests. It came in the first game in Hamilton, with New Zealand winning the toss and electing to bowl first. Bangladesh got dismissed for 234 runs in the first inning in 59.2 overs. In reply, the Black Caps batted for almost two days. They declared at a score of 715/6 in 163 overs and took a first inning lead of 481 runs.
Jeet Raval and Tom Latham gave New Zealand a dream start and added a 254-run opening stand. Jeet made 132 runs, and Latham scored 161 runs. Kane Williamson also scored an unbeaten double hundred (200). Trailing by 481 runs, Bangladesh got all out for 429 runs and lost the game by an inning and 52 runs.
3. Stewie Dempster and Jackie Mills (276 runs) vs England in January 1930
The third highest opening partnership for New Zealand came in January 1930 against England. It was the second test of the four-match series in Wellington. It was the Black Caps that won the toss and decided to bat first. New Zealand got a brilliant start from their openers, and both added 276 runs for the first wicket. Stewie Dempster made 136 runs, and Jackie Mills scored 117 runs.
The Black Caps scored 440 runs in 136.3 overs. England replied with 320 and conceded a lead of 120 runs. New Zealand batted again and declared at 164/4 in 53 overs. They set a target of 285 runs for the English team. Chasing the target, England were at 107/4 in 39 overs, and the game ended in a draw.
2. Devon Conway and Tom Latham (323 runs) vs West Indies in December 2025
Devon Conway and Tom Latham finally broke 95 years old records and scored 2nd highest partnership of 323 runs for opening wicket stand on Day 1 of the third test match against West Indies.
1. Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis (387 runs) vs West Indies in April 1972
The highest opening stand, which is also the second-highest test partnership for New Zealand, came in April 1972 against West Indies in Georgetown. It was the fourth game of New Zealand’s tour. West Indies won the toss and decided to bat first. They batted well and declared their first inning at 365/7 in 135 overs. In reply, both New Zealand openers added more runs than West Indies’ score. They added a record partnership of 387 runs between them.
Terry Jarvis scored 182 with 19 fours, while Glenn Turner scored an excellent double century. He made 259 with 22 fours. New Zealand declared their first inning at 543/3 in 268 overs. They batted for almost three days and got a lead of 178 runs. In the second inning, West Indies were at 86/0 in 40 overs when the game ended in a draw.