Guptill back as Latham cools heels

It’s not so much a hot seat but a furnace, and Luke Ronchi is donning the protective gear to climb back in as Tom Latham cools his heels.

Ronchi will take the New Zealand wicketkeeping gloves from Latham and probably bat at five in Wednesday’s fourth one-day cricket international against South Africa in Hamilton, coach Mike Hesson said yesterday.

With prolific opener Martin Guptill returning from a hamstring injury, and offspinner Jeetan Patel recalled from the radio commentary box to turn the ball away from South Africa’s six left-handers, a cavalry of sorts is on its way to a team smarting from a 159-run hammering in game three in Wellington to go 2-1 down.

If Seddon Park looks spinfriendly again, it means Latham, Neil Broom and Lockie Ferguson could all miss out from a team skittled for 112 in 32.2 overs. It was their lowest ODI total against South Africa, 12th lowest against all opponents and heaviest defeat by runs to the Proteas.

On top of Latham’s run of six single figure scores including three ducks, the ODI wicketkeeping job continues to provide Hesson’s biggest headache ahead of June’s Champions Trophy. With the ‘keeper now required to bat in the top-five for team balance, a host of young contenders headed by Tom Blundell are not deemed ready and Latham’s batting suffered despite his sound glovework.

Ronchi was labelled by selector Gavin Larsen as the country’s No 1 limited overs wicketkeeper, and may well be on pure glovework. But his ODI batting output needs urgent attention: 30 innings without a half-century, including 20 single figure scores, since his magnificent 170 not out against Sri Lanka in January 2015.

For Wellington he can look near unstoppable, and was very good in last year’s India tests, but now’s Ronchi’s chance to return the favour in white ball cricket.

‘‘We talked at the start of the series about giving both keepers an opportunity. We’ve given Tom the first three so Luke’s likely to get an opportunity there,’’ Hesson said.

It’s obvious Latham must sit out the final two games, clear his head and face the red ball in the nets to prepare for South Africa in his most important role as test opener starting in Dunedin on March 8.

It means a likely reprieve for Dean Brownlie alongside Guptill, with Ronchi slotting in for Broom who’s gone off the boil. That enables Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme to continue in the same XI, alongside four frontline bowlers.

‘‘There’s no doubt Tom has struggled the last little while. He’s come off a great series in India where he was our best player and he hasn’t quite reached those heights yet. It’s good to have Martin back to give us some options at the top,’’ Hesson said.

Guptill hasn’t played in almost a month, since he scored 61 against Australia on January 30. It should temper expectations slightly, although Hesson said he’d batted regularly in the nets.

They certainly need Guptill firing after New Zealand fell apart against a persistent, accurate South African pace attack on a pitch that caused them headaches with seam movement.

Their previous lowest total against South Africa was 134 in Cape Town in 1994 and their heaviest margin of defeat by runs 143 in Auckland in 1999.

‘‘After four really good batting performances it came out of the box a little bit. It was challenging and we saw Kane and Ross - two guys who were in form - certainly found it difficult. The way we responded was something we weren’t happy with,’’ Hesson said.

Now they need to somehow go back to back against the world’s top-ranked side who roared back after their 12-match winning streak ended in Christchurch.

‘‘It’s really exciting. In the first two games we played pretty well and we know we’ve got to play well to beat these guys. Last night we did one part pretty poorly. It’s a really good challenge for us. In Hamilton we adapted pretty well last time and we’ll have to do the same again.’’

Patel returns after a tidy spell opening the bowling in the December 31 ODI against Bangladesh.