Tom Latham and Devon Conway scored centuries as New Zealand dominated England on the opening day of the third and final Test.

Latham plundered 151 and Conway hit 157 to set the Black Caps on their way to a huge score at Trent Bridge.

England enjoyed a late flurry of wickets, but New Zealand closed out on 361-4 at stumps.

With returning captain Ben Stokes losing the toss, England's fielders toiled in a blisteringly hot day in Nottingham, as New Zealand capitalised on the conditions and a flat pitch.

The hosts missed several chances to break the Latham-Conway partnership, which got the Black Caps over 300 before Stokes finally dismissed Latham in the 73rd over.

Joe Root snagged Conway two overs later, before Gus Atkinson – returning from suspension like Stokes – and Jofra Archer snatched two late wickets with the new ball.

Rachin Ravindra fell to Atkinson on 7, while Henry Nicholls was dismissed by Archer on 36, as England at least had something to cheer at the end of a dismal day with New Zealand now in pole position to go on and win the series from here.

Devon Conway take a bow.

The left hander brings up his 8th Test century and third in his last 5 tests.#ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/IhVqtNj7Y2

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) June 25, 2026

Black Caps openers scale new heights

The partnership of 317 between Latham and Conway was the biggest stand for any wicket for New Zealand against England.

It also goes into New Zealand's all-time record books as the 10th-highest stand in their Test history.

Prior to Stokes (1-57) finally luring an edge from Latham, the Black Caps looked well set to become just the second team, after New Zealand themselves in 1989, to bat an entire day against England in a Trent Bridge Test without losing a wicket.

As it was, Root (1-7), Atkinson (1-62) and Archer (1-53) followed up on Stokes' breakthrough, though it was a particularly trying day for Shoaib Bashir, who went for 97.