Latham is running out of partners
You could forgive Tom Latham for thinking he’s the star of The Bachelor.
It’s been less than two-anda-half years since he first opened the batting in a test for the Black Caps, and in that time, he’s found himself walking out alongside five different partners.
Jeet Raval became the latest last week for the first test against Pakistan, following in the footsteps of Martin Guptill, Hamish Rutherford, Brendon McCullum and Peter Fulton.
On his home turf at Hagley Oval, Latham decided to do his new partner a favour and face the first ball in both innings.
‘‘Jeet wasn’t too bothered last week, but I said to him I’d take it, just to let him see a few down the other end,’’ said Latham.
‘‘I don’t have a preference at all and I don’t think he does as well it’s one of those things you decide on when you walk out there.’’
"It's nice to talk to each other and try and know each guy's gameplan." Tom Latham
The opening partnership is the only combination of batsmen who know they will be out in the middle with together, and it has been Latham’s experience so far that forging a good relationship is important, with communication being key.
‘‘It’s nice to talk to each other and try and know each guy’s gameplan, and if they go outside that, it’s about talking to each other, and keeping the communication up, about what the bowlers are trying to do,’’ he said.
‘‘Especially in tough conditions, you need to talk to each other.’’
Raval had plenty of time to get used to the idea of playing test cricket, with seven matches passing between his first selection, for the tour to Zimbabwe and South Africa in July and August, and his debut, where he impressed, scoring 55 in the first innings and 36 not out in the second.
As one of two openers picked for the Pakistan series, Raval knew he would be playing a week in advance, and his senior partner made sure to help him with his preparations.
‘‘It was probably a unique situation for him, knowing that he was going to be playing and so being able to prepare, rather than finding out the day before,’’ said Latham.
‘‘I had a bit of a chat to him about trying to keep up that communication. He’s played a lot of first-class cricket, he knows his game plan, and he showed that the other day. He batted extremely well on his debut; to show that composure and bat the way he did, he looked as though he belonged.’’
The Latham-Raval partnership is the 135th combination New Zealand has used in 416 tests, but it didn’t exactly fire in its first outing, notching just six runs in 4.3 overs in the first innings and 19 in 8.2 overs in the second innings, with Latham departing early both times, for 1 and 9.
Given his test record so far five centuries and an average of 36.62 before turning 25 - it shouldn’t be long before Latham is contributing his fair share.
He believes opening the batting is about adapting to the opposition’s bowling attack and the conditions on offer, something which should be easier this week in Hamilton in the second test, which begins on Friday.
‘‘Now we’ve had a good look at them during the first game, we won’t need to adapt too much to their bowlers,’’ he said.
‘‘For me, it’s about adapting to a surface and sticking to my game plan. Some days you get out early and that’s just part and parcel of the job we do, and other days we can cash in. If you can stick to your game plan for as long as possible and get them bowling to you, then hopefully you’ll be successful at the top of the order.’’