Black Caps take command
For all money it looked like Tom Latham would be the support act to yet another batting masterclass.
But even Kane Williamson in this superhuman form can be a mere cricketing mortal.
Either way, it was the Latham and Williamson show on a sundrenched yesterday at Wellington’s Basin Reserve, as New Zealand thundered towards a familiar dominant position against Sri Lanka in the first test.
After captain Williamson fell for a wondrous 91, Latham pushed on in a teeth-gritting display of concentration and patience to end 121 not out, his seventh test century.
It was the opener’s first test ton in nearly two years and 20 innings, since Bangladesh at this very ground, as he helped Williamson add 162 for the second wicket and break the tourists’ spirit.
At stumps on day two New Zealand had the lead, 311-2 in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings of 282, and ready to take charge with Ross Taylor poised on 50 not out.
There was a late milestone for Taylor, too, who went past Brendon McCullum’s 6453 runs into second behind Stephen Fleming (7172) on New Zealand’s all-time test list.
In the last four Basin tests, the team bowling first won all four and posted an average first innings total of 495. That will be a bare minimum for the Black Caps as they look to bat most of today on a dream pitch and fast-scoring ground to set up a likely sixth straight victory over Sri Lanka.
Coming off a lean time in the United Arab Emirates, Latham needed a confidence booster to kick off the home summer.
He went about it the oldfashioned opener’s way, batting six hours and 10 minutes and being on the field for the entire second day. Latham’s most anxious moment was on 16 when he survived a review of an lbw shout to Kasun Rajitha that marginally pitched outside leg.
It was slow and steady for Latham, as Jeet Raval scored 43 of their opening stand of 59. Latham left well early and simply wore the bowlers down.
Raval looked confident, again, but got in a tangle to the short ball in his danger period and lobbed a catch off a mistimed pull shot. It continued his immense frustration but as an opener Raval at least did his job, facing 70 balls and setting a platform.
Williamson arrived with a career-high test batting ranking of No 2 behind India’s Virat Kohli – simultaneously scoring another ton against Australia in Perth – and an average of 92 against Sri Lanka.
If ever Williamson was becoming the first New Zealander to reach 20 test centuries it was here and now, as the crowd who parted with $40 at the gate got a bargain.
Akin to a chess grandmaster, Williamson forced the field the move about and pierced them at will, savaging anything short or wide to the pickets.
His 50 came up off 45 balls and, aside from one or two edges off the spin of Dilruwan Perera everything flew off the middle.
Lahiru Kumara was lively at times but Sri Lanka’s pace attack had a sameness about them, and with no seam movement and minimal swing they were bereft and resorted to the New Zealand plan of short-pitched leg theory.
Williamson was set to kick three clear of Taylor and the late Martin Crowe on the New Zealand all-time century list but, just as the crowd of 3289 were set to rise, he mistimed a sweep. It was ironic that he’d mastered the Pakistan spinners in the desert but fell to part-time offspinner Dhanajaya de Silva.
Latham found his rhythm, unleashing some textbook cover drives to anything full and wide. He raised three figures in the evening shadows, scuttling through for two on an overthrow and raising both arms in a weary salute.
It largely went to script for New Zealand in the morning, too. They took 18 balls to snare the final Sri Lankan wicket and leave the lively, counter-attacking Niroshan Dickwella stranded 80 not out.
Senior man Tim Southee finished it off to end with 6-68 off 27 overs, his first five-wicket bag in 11 Basin tests and fourth-best innings figures overall.