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New Zealand skipper Tom Latham was brilliant on Matchday 1 at Hagley against Bangladesh, scoring an unbeaten 186.
Set in the crease and used to scoring hundreds, you wouldn’t bet against Tom Latham giving a boost to Brendon McCullum’s test record in New Zealand.
Substitute captain Latham and his team had a stellar first day with the bat on day one of the second test against Bangladesh in Christchurch, finishing 349-1 on stumps.
It was a day for Canterbury boy Latham at his home in Hagley Oval, carrying his bat on stumps, undefeated 186, 28 of which on all fours.
Thinking Latham lost the toss as well, the sixth consecutive time he did so as captain, sending him and Will Young to open on a Hagley green wicket against a confident Bangladesh bowling unit after their first shock test at Mount Maunganui.
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Tom Latham gave twice in one more, successful challenges and then races to a test ton against Bangladesh on home turf.
Latham will resume on Monday with Devon Conway, who was stuck on 99 steps at the end of the game, and will be aiming for a third test ton at the start of the second day.
Conway and Latham teamed up for a second unbroken 201-point stand, putting New Zealand in control of the test after day one as they seek to put the series at 1-1 and deprive Bangladesh of a famous triumph of the series outside.
Given how comfortable Latham looked in the middle on day one and his hunger to score in the hundreds, McCullum’s best New Zealand test of 302, high against India at Basin Reserve in 2014, which was Latham’s first test, could potentially be threatened on Monday.
Latham has passed 150 six times in the cricket test with a highest non-test score of 264 against Sri Lanka in Wellington in December 2018.
New Zealand hitting coach Luke Ronchi said Latham was a special player, who liked nothing better than scoring points. As to whether Latham could keep hitting on day two and become the second New Zealand try-hitter to score 300, he wasn’t ruling it out.
“Just let him get as many as he can.” You still want to see things like that broken, but for him it’s going out and doing his processes like he did them so well this round and keep going. [on Monday] start over and all the cliched chats – that’s the best way to play it and the way we want to go about it.
“Keep hitting and make a really substantial team score and obviously for him, keep beating his score overnight.”
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham lifts his bat after discussing his 12th century test against Bangladesh on Sunday.
With the New Zealand test world champions humiliated by Bangladesh at Mount Maunganui, they had to bounce back with a strong first day in Christchurch and captain Latham put the team on their backs.
It had been more than two years and 28 innings since their last 100 for New Zealand, against England at Seddon Park in Hamilton in November 2019.
His 133-ball century on Sunday was the fastest test ton of his career, but it was a patient demonstration, where he settled in to get serious in the first session.
Hagley’s faithful rose to celebrate Latham’s 12th-ton tryout as he raised his bat towards the lodge, where his wife Nicole, young son Angus and father, the former New Zealand international , Rod, were among the family to cheer him on.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Devon Conway, left, and Tom Latham combined for an unbroken second wicket of 201 points to Hagley against Bangladesh.
Aside from surviving two lightweight decisions by referee Wayne Knights earlier in the day, which were overturned, there was little that Bangladesh could do to stop Latham.
Tourists have tried a multitude of different tactics, but Latham has managed to frustrate them and gain confidence. The beating eventually got easier as the sun set over the Hagley wicket in the afternoon and the Bangladeshi bowlers passed out.
“I’ve seen amazing innings from him in all his forms, it’s just that temper that he comes out with and the confidence with the work he puts in between tests and during tests to come out and play the way he does. done, “Ronchi said. .
“The numbers of him in the hundreds of tests and the way he scored as a New Zealand opener are just fantastic. He’s a good leader in our group and he goes there with great confidence and plays his game. “
IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE :
Second test at Hagley Oval:
New Zealand 349-1 from 90 overs (Tom Latham 186no, Devon Conway 99no, Will Young 54) met Bangladesh
