After Latham's incredible knock put New Zealand in pole position to win their first Test against Sri Lanka at Dunedin, The Cricketer brings together five numbers that sum it up...
This was the highest score by an opener carrying their bat in the history of Test cricket. He passed the previous record set by Alastair Cook when he scored 244 not out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the fourth Test of the Ashes 2017/18. He is only the second Kiwi batsman since Glenn Turner to achieve the feat – whose record from 1972 Cook beat.
Alastair Cook leaves the MCG pitch having scored 244*
This is the number of scores in Tests during 2018 that have been higher than Latham’s. The previous highest was by Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim’s 219* against Zimbabwe in November at Dhaka. The last New Zealand batsman to top score in a calendar year was Ross Taylor with his 290 against Australia in 2015 at the WACA.
This is the number of players, including Latham, who have scored a double hundred and carried their bat. The first player to do it was Australian batsman Bill Brown, who scored 206* against England at Lord’s in 1938. The others are Len Hutton, Glenn Turner, Marvan Atapattu, Virendar Sehwag and Alastair Cook.
Bill Brown (right) walks out to bat with Don Bradman
The total number of runs Tom Latham’s father Rod scored in the four Tests he played for New Zealand during the 90s. His highest score was 119 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in 1992.
The highest score by a New Zealand opener in a Test, set by Bryan Young in 1997 – also against Sri Lanka, and also at Dunedin. Young did not ‘carry his bat’ in this Test as New Zealand declared. Latham’s innings is the sixth-highest score by a Kiwi batsman in Tests – the other five are listed in the table below.
| PLAYER | SCORE | OPPOSITION | YEAR |
| Brendon McCullum | 302 | India | 2014 |
| Martin Crowe | 299 | Sri Lanka | 1991 |
| Ross Taylor | 290 | Australia | 2015 |
| Stephen Fleming | 274* | Sri Lanka | 2003 |
| Bryan Young | 267* | Sri Lanka | 1997 |
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Posted by David Rimmer on 18/12/2018 at 22:26
Many congratulations go to Latham _a wonderful feat of concentration and skill. He is worthy of being bracketed alongside Glenn Turner though I doubt he will go on to score 100 first class tons. However, praise should also go to Messrs Mendis and Matthews for batting through the entire fourth day for Sri Lanka. There was the odd scare but the pair batted with composure and real skill abetted by some strange field placings. I suppose some of Williamson's field settings could be termed as funky but they produced no wicket. I thought Wagner bowled badly on the fourth day but he is the kind of character who can bounce back and turn the match on its head. New Zealand must still be favourites to win.
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