Latham to the rescue
Batsman keeps NZ afloat in first Test
A patient Tom Latham carved out his sixth century to keep New Zealand afloat as they moved closer to avoiding a follow on against a rampant Bangladesh after three days of the first Test in Wellington.
While the left-handed opener calmly went about his work at the Basin Reserve yesterday, Bangladesh removed senior batsmen Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor after declaring early in the day at an imposing 595-8.
At stumps, New Zealand were 292-3, still 303 runs behind, with Latham on 119 and Henry Nicholls on 35.
Taylor said New Zealand needed the 24-yearold Latham in the middle with the new ball due in three overs and the follow-on mark 104 runs away.
“His job’s not done yet. We need him to go big tomorrow and obviously try and get that follow on,” Taylor said.
“Once we do get that follow on hopefully we can bat ourselves into a decent position.
“That first session’s going to be important and if we can see off that new ball, pass the follow on, then there’s a bit of (wet) weather around and still 190 overs and a lot of cricket to be played.”
As the strong northerly winds that caused havoc on day one returned in the afternoon session yesterday, Latham had taken a leaf out of the Bangladesh playbook and carefully chosen the moments to punish the bowling.
With the pitch offering little, Williamson and Taylor were guilty of getting a start and then yielding their wickets unnecessarily with two days to play and a draw the most likely outcome if New Zealand do not crash.
After Jeet Raval fell for 27, Williamson comfortably batted at a run-a-ball until he reached 53 and dabbed outside off stump to be caught behind and give Taskin Ahmed his maiden wicket on debut.
Taylor, in his first international following eye surgery at the end of November and needing one more century to equal the New Zealand record of 17 held by the late Martin Crowe, charged into his work.
But on 40 he fell for a well-prepared trap and pulled a short delivery from Kamrul Islam to Mahmudullah poised for the catch on the square-leg boundary.
Kamrul had also removed Jeet, caught behind by Imrul Kayes deputising as wicketkeeper while regular gloveman and captain Mushfiqur Rahim was being treated for knocks to his hands suffered during his innings of 159.
Latham remained unruffled, facing 222 deliveries in his five and a half hours at the crease.
JOHANNESBURG: Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander haunted Sri Lanka’s batsmen as South Africa took full control of the third Test on the second day at the Wanderers.
Rabada and Philander added four more wickets to the 17 they claimed in the last match as Sri Lanka limped to 80-4 in response to South Africa’s 426 all out. — Agencies