17 Dec 2018

Cricket: Latham rewrites history books to put NZ in charge

7:45 pm on 17 December 2018

The Black Caps opener Tom Latham rewrote the history books as he put New Zealand in complete control against Sri Lanka at stumps on day three of the first test in Wellington.

Latham made 264 not out as New Zealand were dismissed for 578, giving the home side a 296 run first innings lead.

A stumps Sri Lanka were 20-3 still 276 runs in arrears, with Tim Southee taking two second innings wickets and Trent Boult one.

Latham is just the second New Zealand batsman to carry his bat in a test innings, the other being Glenn Turner who achieved the feat twice - against England at Lord's in 1969 and again in 1972 against the West Indies in Jamaica.

He is also the first batsman in the history of the game to carry his bat in a team total of more than 500.

Latham's innings is the sixth highest by a New Zealand - behind Brendon McCullum 302, the late Martin Crowe with 299, Ross Taylor 290, Stephen Fleming 274* and Bryan Young 264*.

Blackcaps batsman Tom Latham in action

Blackcaps batsman Tom Latham in action Photo: © Copyright Photosport Ltd 2018 www.photosport.nz

Latham brought up his 200 shortly before tea at Wellington's Basin Reserve, the 23rd double century in test matches by a New Zealander.

It's the sixth double ton at the Basin Reserve with Latham joining Brendon McCullum, Martin Crowe, Kane Williamson, Lou Vincent and Mathew Sinclair who have achieved the feat.

The left-handed batsman took 412 deliveries to get to 200, with 16 fours.

By the end of the innings he had faced 489 balls and hit 21 fours and one six.

The Black Caps lost Ross Taylor in the first over of the day without adding to his overnight score of 50.

The batsmen out today were Ross Taylor 50, Henry Nicholls 50, BJ Watling 0, Colin de Grandhomme 49, Tim Southee 6, Neil Wagner for 0, Ajaz Patel for 6 and Trent Boult for 11.

Follow New Zealand v Sri Lanka here:

List of New Zealand double test centurions.

BB McCullum 302 v India, Wellington, Feb 2014.

MD Crowe 299 v Sri Lanka, Wellington, January 1991.

LRPL Taylor 290 v Australia, Perth, November, 2015.

SP Fleming 274* v Sri Lanka, Colombo, April 2003.

BA Young 267* v Sri Lanka, Dunedin, March 1997.

SP Fleming 262 v South Africa, Cape Town, 2006.

GM Turner 259 v West Indies, Georgetown, April 1972

KS Williamson 242* v Sri Lanka, Wellington, January 2015.

GT Dowling 239 v India, Christchurch, Feb 1968.

B Sutcliffe 230* v India, Delhi, Dec 1955.

BB McCullum 225 v India, Hyderabad (Deccan), November 2010.

L Vincent 224 v Sri Lanka, Wellington April 2005.

BB McCullum 224 v India, Auckland, February 2014.

GM Turner 223* v West Indies, Kingston, February 1972.

NJ Astle 222 v England, Christchurch, March 2002.

LRPL Taylor 217* v West Indies, Dunedin December 2013.

MS Sinclair 214 v West Indies, Wellington, December 1999.

MP Donnelly 206 v England, Lord's June 1949.

MS Sinclair 204* v Pakistan, Christchurch, March 2001.

SP Fleming 202 v Bangladesh, Chittagong, October 2004.

BB McCullum 202 v Pakistan, Sharjah, November 2014.

JD Ryder 201 v India, Napier, Mar 2009.

TWM Latham 264* v Sri Lanka, Wellington December 2018.