Latham mirrors father’s century

LIKE father, like son.

Tom Latham matched Dad Rod’s in scoring a test century in Bulawayo as New Zealand continued to dominate an earnest, though limited, Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club.

Latham completed the fourth hundred of his burgeoning career early in the final session on day two, though Rod, who was watching from Christchurch, still has bragging rights, to a degree.

Although the 24-year-old has quadrupled his old man’s century tally, Rod at least owns the highest score in Africa for now after a rare lapse in concentration ended Latham’s otherwise composed 307-minute innings on 105.

Best remembered as a hardhitting opener with Mark Greatbatch at the 1992 World Cup, Rod Latham made a patient 119 at the city’s second test venue, the Bulawayo Athletic Club, eight months after the tournament that captivated the nation.

Tom Latham will never replicate his father’s ODI-style belligerence, he prefers attrition over aggression to demoralise the opposition’s bowling attack.

So it was no surprise the compact left-hander used 24 deliveries to negotiate the ‘nervous 90s’ either side of the tea interval to reach his milestone off 200 balls.

‘‘I’m very proud to get a hundred for New Zealand and the fact that Dad has got one here as well is extra special,’’ he said, after New Zealand were 315 for four at stumps, a lead of 151.

‘‘I didn’t know too much about that until I came off, I was more focussed on getting the team into a good position. At the end of the day it is a nice wee stat to have.’’

Typically Latham started sedately when venturing to the middle with Martin Guptill and although he never operated with the flair of Kane Williamson during their 156-run stand for the second wicket there were still some sumptuous strokes among his dozen boundaries.

Their liaison ended seven balls after it perhaps should have when he played a tired half-hearted waft at a soft, side delivery from Hamilton Masakadza – the seventh bowler utilised by Graeme Cremer – and reserve wicketkeeper Brian Chari claimed his first test dismissal.

Williamson was set to precede Latham to the pavilion in the previous over when Cremer and Sikandar Raza believed they had removed the Black Caps’ skipper on 72.

‘‘We are in a strong position, but there is still a lot of hard work to do tomorrow,’’ Latham said.

Guptill’s 40 was another frustrating, unfulfilling, innings for the limited overs star.