A moment of frustration will cost Blackcaps hero Devon Conway a spot in the Twenty20 World Cup final, after the wicketkeeper-batter broke his right hand in Thursday's victory over England at Abu Dhabi.
Conway, 30, has been an integral part of the Blackcaps' journey to reach the final, keeping wicket to accommodate an extra bowling option, while also holding down the vital No.4 spot in the batting order.
The elegant left-hander played a vital role in the semi-final victory over England, scoring a vital 46 runs as part of an 82-run partnership with man-of-the-match Daryl Mitchell, that saw the Blackcaps recover from 13/2 to win by five wickets.
But that will be the end of Conway's tournament, after he suffered the injury punching his bat after his dismissal, stumped by Jos Buttler off Liam Livingtsone's bowling.
"We really feel for Devon," coach Gary Stead says. "He's obviously gutted by the news and the fracture he's got in his hand.
"He's very much a team player for us, so he's feeling very sorry for himself, remorseful and, I guess, as though he's let the team down.
"There's not much else we can really say around it at the moment, other than we know we'll miss him, but it's an opportunity for someone else to come into the team now and step up on the biggest of stages. We certainly look forward to that happening too."
Conway's absence for Monday's final will likely bring Tim Seifert into the Blackcaps' playing XI as wicketkeeper, while Glenn Phillips could also take the gloves to allow Mark Chapman to play as a batter.
Stead also confirms that Conway's injury will sideline him from the test series against India, beginning November 25 at Kanpur.
Join Newshub for live updates of the T20 World Cup final between the Blackcaps and Australia from 3am Monday.
