Latham finally conquers Basin with classy ton
At last, Tom Latham was open for business at the Basin Reserve. As punters cursed the return of Wellington’s gale force winds, Latham’s return to top form warmed them as his sixth test century arrived in the nick of time for New Zealand.
The left-handed opener will resume today on 119 not out alongside Henry Nicholls (35) after the Black Caps moved to 292-3 at stumps on the third day of the first test against Bangladesh.
After captain Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor looked a million dollars but couldn’t kick on, Latham’s ton was priceless for his team who still face hours of graft in reply to Bangladesh’s mammoth 595-8 declared.
With the follow-on mark now 104 runs away, worry lines eased in the home camp but a strong first session is required to avert any angst. A draw, surely, remains at short odds here with the pitch still a batsman’s dream.
In six previous test innings at the Basin, Latham’s best was 63 against Australia in February. He arrived amid a scratchy run of test form, too, having posted nine single figure scores from his last 14 innings and struggled to convert.
The Basin was hardly a opener’s haven, either. Latham joined John Wright (three times) as the only New Zealand openers to score a Basin test century in the past 87 years – since the 1930 Wellington test when Stewie Dempster and Jack Mills both topped three figures. Now, only Wright (12) and Glenn Turner (7) sit ahead of Latham on the New Zealand opener century charts.
Latham barely offered a chance, bar a loopy hook over the wicketkeeper’s head. Solid on defence and leaving well, Latham played the classic disciplined knock with 12 boundaries dotting his milestone which came up in a tick over four hours.
Opener Jeet Raval was edgy, dropped by Shakib Al Hasan in the cordon then removed for 27 when he waved the bat at one that bounced.
As Latham calmly built his innings it looked like a relaxing open wicket session for Williamson. As Bangladesh fed his favourite area, short outside off stump, Williamson rattled up 53 off 55 balls and looked a great bet for another century before 21-year-old debutant Taskin Ahmed somehow found the edge to a straight one. Even Williamson looked stunned.
It was a second catch to Imrul Kayes, too, the stand-in gloveman for sidelined captain and batting co-star Mushfiqur Rahim. The little general awaited results of X-rays on his left thumb and right index finger which were pounded by New Zealand bouncers during his knock of 159. Early reports suggested no fracture and he’ll be available to bat.
Taylor arrived to expectant applause, one short of his late mentor Martin Crowe’s New Zealand record of 17 test centuries. The situation was, ahem, Taylor made and when he danced down the pitch to Shakib’s spin and drove effortlessly to the fence it looked his day.
Eye surgery clearly did the trick as Taylor saw it like a basketball, his feet moving and the ball rattling the pickets. With an expectant crowd sensing something special, Taylor’s dismissal for 40 was as unexpected as Williamson’s as he got a pull shot high on the bat and found mid-wicket.
There was a slight wobble at 205-3 with the two best batsmen gone and New Zealand’s middle order vulnerable.
Nicholls had some anxious moments and survived a Mehedi lbw shout on review by a whisker, thanks to umpire Paul Reiffel. With the ball drifting sharply he lobbed one short of cover, then was nearly stumped. He desperately needed runs to stave off Neil Broom or Colin Munro for the South Africa series.