Tom Latham - Carrying his bat

When the statisticians flung out the figures following Tom Latham’s record-breaking 264 not out, I was amazed that he was only the 56^th man to bat throughout a completed Test innings without being dismissed. In a year when  only Mushfiqur Rahim had reached 200 in Tests, it was also remarkable that the New Zealander’s score was the highest ever by a player ‘carrying his bat’.

He eclipsed the previous best, achieved by Alastair Cook only a year ago in Melbourne. However, remarkably, one man has carried his bat twice this year: Dean Elgar. At Jo’burg in January he ran out of partners in a losing chase against India then, two months later, his unbeaten 141 laid the foundation for a thumping victory over Australia, a game unfortunately remembered more for Steve Smith Cameron Bancroft and David Warner coming a cropper for cheating.

Latham is typical of a traditional bat-carrier: an old-school blocker, the guy you need in a Test side to anchor an innings while others make the strokes. He spent more than eleven hours at the crease, facing 489 balls, representing a strike rate not too shabby, even by modern standards. Mind you, he didn’t start to push on until joined by the Black Cap tail, and only 90 of his runs came in boundaries. But of course that doesn’t matter when you have colleagues like Williamson, Taylor and de Grandhomme at the other end upsetting the Sri Lankan attack.

Two players have carried their bat in Tests three times: Elgar and the great West Indian from the '80s and '90s, Desmond Haynes. The latter was no slouch but, when compared with his long-time opening partner Gordon Greenidge and the likes of Viv Richards, Carl Hooper and Brian Lara, he was a stonewaller. These three occasions were in a mixed trio of circumstances, the matches resulting in a draw defeat and victory.

There are some familiar obdurate openers on the list, from Atherton to Lawry, Gavaskar to Dravid, Kirsten to Turner, but also some of the most flamboyant cricketers of modern times. In 2009, Chris Gayle struck 165 out of a second innings 317 at Adelaide which effectively prevented defeat against the Aussies.

One of the most memorable displays of bat-carrying came at Hobart seven years ago. In a very low-scoring game against New Zealand, Australia needed 244 to win. Up to then, only two players had passed 40 and the Aussie batsmen were maintaining that grim record – all except David Warner. While Bracewell was causing carnage at the other end, he produced a brilliant innings of 123 which took his side to within seven of the target before Lyon was bowled.

However, perhaps the greatest effort happened in 2008 at Galle. As all around him lost their wickets at an alarming rate, Virender Sehwag just stuck to his normal game and flayed 201in 231 balls out of a first innings total of 329. He added 50 on his second outing and India went on to win decisively.

I wouldn’t mind betting that Geoff Boycott would have relished carrying his bat. Even if he scored only one not out. But if there was one thing the Yorkshire legend loved even more, it was scoring centuries. Therefore, he must have been fuming when, in Perth almost four decades ago, whilst endeavouring to stave off almost certain defeat, he was left high and dry on 99 not out. Coincidentally, the Aussie Kim Hughes had earlier been dismissed on 99 while Boycott’s 20-ball first innings facing Lillee and Dymock had yielded precisely nothing.

In the end, carrying the bat is a feat nobody aims for. It may boost your average but, more often than not, it’s indicative of a poor team performance overly reliant on one batsman. Tom Latham’s case is an exception: he just kept on going and showed why old-fashioned values of knowing when to play and when to leave can reap dividends in what is likely to be a winning cause.

Morkel and Archer on Target

Although bookended by some Vitality Blasts, most county players had to dust off their red-ball skills. It was an especially successful week for Surrey and Sussex.

The former continued their expensive cruise towards the Championship title by trashing Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge by an innings and 183 runs. Skipper Rory Burns took his season’s run tally to 875 with another century, aided by fellow opener Mark Stoneman’s run-a-ball 86 and Ricky Clarke’s 111, as Surrey racked up almost 600. Notts had no response as the quality attack ripped through them twice. Morne Morkel was the star performer, taking 4-60 and 5-60.

Somerset leapfrogged Notts into second place by beating Worcestershire at New Road, where it was a tale of two Alis. There was little to split them after two days, but Somerset took control in their second innings. Moeen did little with the bat but claimed eight wickets in the match. However, the visitors’ new signing Azhar Ali had the better of the two, top-scoring with 125. Seamers Jamie Overton and Davey nabbed fifteen wickets between them to end any remaining resistance. 

At Old Trafford, Yorkshire upset their neighbours by a 118-run victory. Lancashire’s Jordan Clark upset the rhythm by achieving a rare Roses hat-trick. Not a bad trio of victims, either: Root, Bairstow and Williamson, all in the world’s top twelve! However, the Red Roses capitulated and who was the star bowler? None other than Joe Root, who ended up with 4-5. Who needs Adil Rashid when your captain and top batsman can spin sides out like that?

Warwickshire’s progress towards promotion from Division Two suffered a blow when they suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Middlesex at a baking Lord’s. The ever-reliable Tim Murtagh ended with an aggregate of 7-97. Sussex narrowed the gap to seven points, bowling Glamorgan out twice for under 100. Jofra Archer’s 2018 domestic season is at last taking off, demonstrated by his return of 4-15 and 4-31, abetted by Chris Jordan.

Kent would have been right in the mix had they beaten Leicestershire at Canterbury. But they didn’t. They were taken apart by ten wickets, with Ned Eckersley catching eight behind the stumps.

In mid-table, Derbyshire dealt Northamptonshire a 39-run blow at Chesterfield. Spinner Matt Critchley finished with ten wickets, to go with 88 valuable runs. Wayne Madsen weighed in with a second-innings hundred. It was tough on Northants’ Alex Wakeley who made a century of his own, albeit in a losing cause.

In the other fixture, Gloucestershire all-rounder Ryan Higgins proved he’s not just a white-ball player by scoring 147 runs and taking six cheap wickets in a close-fought win over Durham. The latter’s New Zealand opener Tom Latham maintained his form with 192 runs, but the rest of his side were unable to build on his good starts.

Higgins also landed three wickets in Gloucester’s T20 triumph over Glamorgan. Assisted by Michael Klinger’s unbeaten 77, Gloucestershire moved to the top of the South Division, just ahead of Kent and Sussex who were thwarted by summer storms around Canterbury.

Still awaiting a first win of the campaign, Northamptonshire suffered yet another defeat, this time by Worcestershire, whose openers Martin Guptill and Joe Clarke whipped 162 in 10 overs en route for a nine-wicket victory. Lancashire just about held on to the lead in the North despite losing their second Roses clash in a few days. This time it was the six-hitting of Tom Kohler-Cadmore which inflicted the most damage.

The coming week sees a return to T20 supremacy in Britain. Some counties face three games, including Yorkshire, who must squeeze them into four days. The most interesting could be Lancashire’s trip to Worcestershire and Sussex hosting Gloucestershire as all four vie for their respective divisions’ number one spot.

Team of the Week: 

Latham (Dur), Burns (Sur), Guptill (Wor), Azhr Ali (Som), Wakely (Nor), Higgins (Glo), Clarke (Sur), Milton (Wor +), Critchley (Der), Archer (Sus), Morkel (Sur)

Ian Bell rings, Fuller's full of wickets

Most of the Vitality Blast action took place in the northern half of England this week. Worcestershire’s 100% record came to a crashing end, with defeats at the hands of Yorkshire and Durham. The Jets won all three of their matches, with strong starts to each innings. Captain Tom Latham and Cumbrian Graham Clark were consistent openers, Callum MacLeod weighed in with a century and a rare Ben Stokes appearance delivered a 43 and 4-16 in that Worcester fixture.

However, Lancashire top the group following three victories of their own. Last night’s thrilling one-run success over their White Rose rivals was the big one, and there was no ‘bat drop’ celebration for Joe Root, who couldn’t find the last-ball boundary Yorkshire needed. Liam Livingstone added to his considerable run tally for the season but Toby Lester’s excellent start – 4-25 against Derbyshire – couldn’t be maintained. Root and Bresnan took him to the cleaners in the exciting run chase at Old Trafford.

Even more cliffhanging was Friday’s game at Edgbaston. After suffering five successive defeats, Northamptonshire must have sensed success against Birmingham Bears once Richard Levi’s unbeaten 95 had anchored a score of 231-5. However, Ian Bell, once derided for his inability to score quickly enough for England, produced a magnificent 131, including seven sixes. He was dismissed by Buck in the last over with ten needed, then de Grandhomme fell with two to win. Unfortunately for the Bears, Aaron Thomason could only muster a single from the final ball and we had a tie. At least Northants had secured a point.

In the South division, Kent and Gloucestershire share the lead, but both were prevented from adding two to their points total by rain (yes, rain!). At Cheltenham, the weather closed in before the home team could bat, and the same thing happened at The Oval, where the Kent attack was hammered for 250-6. Inevitably, Aaron Finch led the way with a 38-ball 83.

I’m delighted that Somerset are back in the hunt. Their trips to Lord’s and Cardiff resulted in much needed triumphs, Max Waller’s leg-spin being particularly mean at the start of the innings. However, when it comes to taking wickets, James Fuller topped the bill this week. The eighth bowler used by Middlesex against Hampshire, he claimed an impressive 6-28. Nevertheless, they still contrived to lose the game and hand Hampshire a first win of the 2018 Blast.

They meet again next week, but the Kent-Sussex and Birmingham-Yorkshire clashes are the picks of the fixture list. The T20 block is also interrupted briefly by some Championship matches, including another Roses encounter and leaders Surrey travelling to Nottinghamshire. If Finch plays, it could be over in two days.

Team of the Week: 

Latham (Dur), Bell (War), Levi (Nor), Livingstone (Lan), MacLeod (Dur), Stokes (Dur), Brown (Sus +), Archer (Sus), Imran Tahir (Dur), Waller (Som), Fuller (Mid)