Blackcaps vs Sri Lanka: Tom Latham ever present in dominant NZ display

Amid all the numbers generated by Tom Latham's historic double-century innings against Sri Lanka on Monday, one sneaks up on the Blackcaps opening batsman.

By the end of this opening test at Wellington's Basin Reserve, he may well have been on the field for every minute of the scheduled five-day encounter, but likely to last just four.

Latham's unbeaten 264-run stand powered New Zealand to a mammoth score of 578 and a lead of 296 runs after the first innings.

By stumps on the third day, pace bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult had already knocked the top off the Sri Lankan batting order - they will resume at 20/3 on Tuesday.

Latham's score, achieved over 489 balls and about 11-and-a-half hours, was the sixth-highest by a New Zealand batsman, behind only Brendon McCullum, Martin Crowe, Ross Taylor, Stephen Fleming and Bryan Young.

And by carrying his bat, he gives himself a chance at a rare feat of endurance.

"Looking back in years to come, that might be something you think about, but you don't play the game for those sort of things," Latham reflected afterwards.

"It's really nice to be sitting here and having those sorts of numbers up against your name. For me, it was about trying to stick to my gameplan for as long as possible and whatever happened happened.

"It was nice that I was there at the end of the innings, and we managed to bat most of the day again and put that score on the board."

Tom Latham celebrates during first innings
Tom Latham celebrates during first innings at Basin Reserve. Photo credit: Photosport

Latham, 26, who was probably too young to remember dad Rod Latham's stint as a plundering one-day opener for New Zealand, entered this test with some doubts over his spot, after a sub-par series against Pakistan in the UAE.

But in more familiar conditions, he offered the Sri Lankans little hope, as he built a succession of partnerships with his batting mates.

"The boys would come in and keep me going, and keep me inside my gameplan, which was probably the most pleasing thing," said Latham. "I felt reasonably fresh out there, which was a good thing.

"For the guys to come out and play the way they did - the way Henry came out, Colin came out and took a bit of pressure off me - that was nice."

The left-hander enjoyed partnerships of 59 runs with fellow opener Jeet Ravel, 162 with captain Kane Williamson, 91 with Ross Taylor, 114 with Henry Nicholls and 73 with Colin de Grandhomme.

The swashbuckling de Grandhomme, who also struggled for form against Pakistan, smashed 49 off 53 balls, including three sixes.

"For us, it was about putting as many runs on the board as possible, whatever way that was," said Latham. "It was up to us out in the middle how we went about our business."

With rain threatening the capital on Day Five, New Zealand will want to quickly wrap up the Sri Lankan batting order early, before moving on to Christchurch for the second test, beginning Boxing Day.

If they can win both, the Blackcaps will rise to second on the ICC world test rankings - their highest-ever position.

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