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CanterburyWicketkeeper batter
Tom Latham
- Age
- 34y 210d
- Bats
- Left-hand
- Bowls
- Right-arm medium
- From
- Christchurch
- Age
- 34y 210d
- Bats
- Left-hand
- Bowls
- Right-arm medium
- From
- Christchurch
Tom Latham is a New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter whose father, Rod Latham, also represented New Zealand. He played for his country at the 2010 U-19 World Cup and later debuted in first-class cricket for Canterbury. His early first-class returns were modest, but a century in the Ford Trophy earned him selection for a series against Zimbabwe. An important early moment came against Sri Lanka in a rain-shortened game, when New Zealand needed 203 from 23 overs. Latham made 86 and shared a productive stand with Luke Ronchi to secure the win, which brought him the Man of the Match award.
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His first Test came against India in 2014, when Ross Taylor was unavailable. He fell for a duck in his first innings before making 29 in the second. On the following tour of the West Indies he struck three fifties in a row across the opening two Tests, and he later scored hundreds in consecutive matches at the start of a Test series against Pakistan. In December 2018 he carried his bat against Sri Lanka, reaching a career-best 264. A second Test double century followed in the 2022 home summer, and he closed that year with a hundred against Pakistan in Karachi.
In the longer format Latham is valued as a patient opener who absorbs the new ball for the strokeplayers to come. In one-day cricket he opened after Brendon McCullum retired and improved notably in 2016-17, though some felt he struggled to accelerate when required. He was moved into the middle order, chiefly for a tour of India because of his skill against spin, and stayed there as Colin Munro thrived at the top. His dependable keeping, despite not being a specialist gloveman, gives the side extra balance. Against spinners he relies on the sweep and on using his feet.
Latham played every match of the 2019 ODI World Cup in the middle order as New Zealand reached the final. The following year he led the Test side for the first time when Kane Williamson was ill, and he also captained in some ODIs against India while Williamson was injured. After 2022 his ODI place became less secure, with Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Will Young among the openers. Having earlier served as vice-captain, he became Test captain in October 2024 when Tim Southee stepped down. His first series in charge was in India, where he made starts in nearly every match and New Zealand won 3-0.
