The best seat in the house
At least we know, now, that spectators and television viewers aren’t the only ones marvelling at Kane Williamson’s sublime batting.
New Zealand centurymaker Tom Latham was shaking his head, too, on the second day of the first cricket test against Sri Lanka during his marathon knock of 121 not out yesterday.
A weary but grinning Latham gave one of his more buoyant interviews under the RA Vance Stand at the Basin Reserve, hugely satisfied with his unbeaten six-hour and 10-minute innings and the way Williamson inspired him from the other end.
‘‘He’s pretty good, isn’t he? He came out and hit the ball fantastically well. It made my job a lot easier just to do my thing,’’ said Latham of his skipper, who sprinted to 91 off 93 balls before he was caught off a rare false shot.
‘‘He’s a world-class player, and hitting the ball unbelievably at the moment in all conditions. I’m sure it will be another good summer for him.’’
Latham’s most recent test century was in Wellington against Bangladesh in January 2017, nearly two years ago. With that knock he became just the second New Zealand opener after John Wright to reach three figures in a Basin test since 1930 when Stu Dempster and Jack Mills each raised their bats in the country’s first test against England.
That seventh test ton seemed a long way off when Latham started cautiously, left well and made the Sri Lankan bowlers come to him. He was 15 off 68 balls when Williamson joined him. The world’s second-ranked test batsman continued his roll by crashing boundaries off his first three deliveries from Lahiru Kumara.
‘‘In test cricket it’s about sticking to your gameplan and showing intent. The way he played and scored so freely it made my job a little bit easier. When guys are going like that it’s easier to give them the strike and let them do their thing.’’
The pair added 162 for the second wicket and Williamson’s 20th test century looked a formality before his rare lapse. Latham then took over confidently, punishing anything overpitched and looking immovable.
Latham arrived under some pressure, after he scored 99 runs at 16.5 in the 2-1 test series win over Pakistan. He got some good deliveries and one rough decision in the United Arab Emirates, but still needed to reaffirm his standing as the country’s premier opener.
‘‘I was really excited about the opportunity coming back home. I didn’t have the results I wanted in the UAE but I felt I was hitting the ball all right. The biggest thing was the trust in my game and I can do it at this level. It’s Black Caps centurymaker Tom Latham, left, on Kane Williamson been a while since I made a big score but it was nice to do that straight away.
‘‘It’s a big day tomorrow and hopefully we can keep batting.’’
With another quality player, Ross Taylor, resuming 50 not out, Latham said the target was to bat all of today by which time they could be threatening 600.
The Black Caps resume on 311-2, a lead of 29, and if Latham can maintain his steely concentration a really big one beckons. That Bangladesh century, 177, remains his highest test score.
‘‘He’s pretty good, isn’t he?’’