There’s a curious quirk that connects some of sport’s all-time greats.
Dan Carter, one of the greatest rugby union players of all time, was left-footed. Feted Argentine footballers Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona were, and are, too.
Manny Pacquiao, a boxing world champion in eight different weight divisions, fought in a left-handed stance. Rafael Nadal won 22 Grand Slams and Olympic gold with a left-handed forehand.
And then there are the left-handed cricketers.
Brian Lara, Justin Langer, Wasim Akram, Kumar Sangakkara, Sir Alastair Cook, Ravindra Jadeja, Matthew Hayden, and two of Nottinghamshire’s own knights, Sir Garry Sobers and (partly) Sir Richard Hadlee.
Quite why the connection exists is not immediately obvious.
After all, there are plenty of right-handed and right-footed greats too. Many would be keen to argue there are even greater right-handed figures that surpass even those above.
Yet, whatever the reason for that surprisingly high number of sporty southpaws - only around 10% of the world is left-handed - there was no doubting that it was their day at a sun-kissed Trent Bridge.
New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Tom Latham may not be quite among the revered echelons of those left-handed legends, but they certainly endeavoured to bat like them on day one against England in Nottingham.
In putting on 317 for the first wicket, in the process falling only narrowly short of the all-time Trent Bridge opening stand record of 329 - by Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor in 1989 - the two put England to the sword, and then some.
Conway’s 157, the eighth century of his Test career, slightly - but only slightly - eclipsed his opening partner and captain Latham’s 151, for whom it was Test century number 17.
Both were imperious, and were it not for a late burst that leaves England in a little more promising position heading into tomorrow, with New Zealand closing on 361-4, it could have been even more domineering.
To the two New Zealanders’ credit, they were busy, efficient, and quick in the heat, finding scoring areas right across the ground as the opening day capacity crowd - albeit a partisan one - was treated to a showcase of objectively fine strokeplay.
Latham was first to 100, doing so in 149 balls just before tea, while Conway followed him in 174 deliveries not long afterwards as the two kept up with one another with impressive precision.
England could have wilted; they did not.
With that all-time record, that has stood for 37 years, in Latham and Conway’s sightlines, the hosts’ prodigal son of a captain, Ben Stokes, found the breakthrough shortly after tea.
It was a surprisingly low-key dismissal - Latham caught low down behind by Jamie Smith off an outside edge from a half-hearted cut - but perhaps it was all the idling England motor needed.
In the 12 overs that followed, three more Black Caps were removed, including Conway only six balls later by Joe Root. Once again, Root and Stokes were England’s saviours.
Gus Atkinson and Jofra Archer then accounted for Rachin Ravindra and Henry Nicholls, the latter with the final ball of the day, to give England some real hope.
They will return tomorrow with two batters who are yet to face a ball. One is likely to be the high-quality, big-hitting Daryl Mitchell, but the other is nightwatcher Will O’Rourke.
From Stokes’ celebration for his scalp, you could have been forgiven for thinking the Three Lions were about to pull off a win that was of similar ilk to their unforgettable one here in 2022.
England are energised - and the strange thing is, New Zealand were 318-4 at the end of the first day of that Test four years ago.
Déjà vu, anyone?
