Latham takes batting to next level
brendon.egan@stuff.co.nz If you’re looking for just how valuable Tom Latham was to the Black Caps’ test series triumph over Sri Lanka digest this stat.
The left-handed opener, who delivered a man of the series showing, accumulated 450 runs from three innings at a crazy average of 225. Compare that to Sri Lanka, who scored 909 runs across the two matches, just over half Latham’s amount.
Latham won’t forget the past two weeks in a hurry. He backed up his marathon 264 not out from the first test in Wellington, where he stuck it out for more than 11 and a half hours, with an equally impressive 176 at his Hagley Oval home ground in Christchurch.
It was a stellar series for Latham, who demonstrated his ability to concentrate for long periods of time and not just be content with three figures, but turn it into a hefty match-winning knock.
In New Zealand’s 423-run romp in Christchurch, it was a chanceless second innings knock from Latham, who apart from a difficult chance to Dushmantha Chameera at fine leg didn’t offer Sri Lanka a sniff.
He teamed up with Canterbury team-mate and close friend Henry Nicholls, who hit a test-best 162 not out, for a 214-run fourth wicket stand which shattered Sri Lanka’s morale in the field.
Captain Kane Williamson, no stranger to scoring runs himself, was full of praise for the 26-year-old Latham.
‘‘Look, he’s been outstanding in this series. The way he was able to maintain his focus, in terms of playing each ball on its merit for as long as he can and not perhaps get ahead of himself, thinking maybe he’s in or has done enough, which comes back to that team first mindset [was impressive].’’
Latham produced the perfect response after a trying time in the tests against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month. He notched 4,10, 22, 50, 13 and 0, in the UAE, but feasted on the Sri Lankan bowlers and roared back into form with the bat.
Latham, Nicholls and Williamson’s run scoring exploits against Sri Lanka enabled them to finish 2018 with the best three averages in the world for test cricket (minimum 500 runs). Nicholls topped the list at 73.11 (658 runs), while Latham (59.81, 658 runs) and Williamson (59.18, 651 runs) completed a Kiwi clean sweep.
Despite playing just seven tests in 2018, Latham and Nicholls ended the year 11th equal for total test runs scored with Williamson 13th. India skipper and run scoring machine Virat Kohli was first with 1322 at 55.08.
Latham, who is close to a certainty for New Zealand’s 2019 World Cup squad, has been rested for the three- match ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting on Thursday in Mount Maunganui.