Tom Latham

Thomas William Latham is a left-handed batsman and wicket keeper who plays for the New Zealand national team. He was born on 2nd April 1992 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Tom Latham is the son of former Kiwi cricketer Rod Latham. As of October 2024, he has the most Test centuries for a New Zealand opening batsman. Latham was a part of the New Zealand team that won the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship. He was also a part of the New Zealand squads to finish as runners-up in two Cricket World Cup finals in 2015 and 2019.

Tom Latham: Along the Years 

Tom Latham Records 

• In a match that was cut short by weather in 2013, Latham and Luke Ronchi put up an incredible 93-run partnership. New Zealand were four down early in the chase of 203 runs in just 23 overs. Latham's incredible 86-run effort earned him the title of Man of the Match.

• In June 2014, Latham finished second on the list of the series' leading run scorers, solely behind Kane Williamson. In three tests, he had amassed 288 runs, or three half-centuries.

• In October 2017, Tom and Ross Taylor partnered for 200 runs against India. New Zealand was chasing 280 and three down. Taylor's 95 and Latham's 103 not out drove New Zealand to a superb win.

• 200-run partnership with Ross Taylor against India in 2017

• In 2018, he set a new Test match record for the highest score by any opener while carrying his bat, surpassing Alastair Cook's 244 not out in 2017.

• He was the second New Zealand opener to carry his bat in a Test.

• 3rd most catches in an ODI Series, with 21 catches

• 5000 runs and 50 fielding dismissals in Test Cricket

• 9th Captain who has kept wickets

• 200 runs and 10 wicket-keeping dismissals in an ODI Series

• Latham has scored 13 centuries in Test cricket and 7 in One Day Internationals matches

Tom Latham Awards and Accolades 

• Part of the New Zealand squads to finish as runners-up in two Cricket World Cup finals in 2015 and 2019.

• Member of the New Zealand team that won the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship

Tom Latham Domestic Career 

In the 2010–11 Plunket Shield season, Latham made his Canterbury debut, amassing 65 runs in his first-ever first-class cricket innings. He had been a Canterbury youth cricket player, captaining the under-19 squad and participating in the 2008–09 Canterbury A team. Latham was also a part of the Durham County Cricket Club academy in England in 2010. He represented Gateshead Fell in the North East Premier League in England, as well as Durham Second XI and a Northumberland development XI in cricket matches.

Latham has represented Canterbury in every format of the game. He played in the Yorkshire Bank 40 competition, the biggest English List A competition, for Scotland and South Shields in the North East Premier League during the 2013 English summer. He also made two further appearances for Durham's second XI. He was chosen for the summer tour of the New Zealand Test team as well as the T20 squad, and he participated in both of the T20 internationals in 2014.

Latham was signed by Kent to play overseas during the 2016 English season. In May, he made his debut in the County Championship match at Canterbury against Glamorgan, becoming the first batter from Kent history to score half-centuries in both innings. Latham represented the county in all three forms of the game, before departing Kent in mid-July to play for the New Zealand squad in Zimbabwe.

Latham committed to Durham in 2017 as an overseas player for the second part of the English cricket season. He joined Surrey in 2023 and played his first game at Canterbury against Kent.

Tom Latham International Career 

Latham made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in January 2012 and scored just 24 runs. In the same year, he also made his T20 debut against the West Indies, during which he was chosen as a wicket-keeper batsman in the squad.

He made his Test debut against India in 2014, where he replaced Ross Taylor. Even though he failed to impress with his debut, he scored two consecutive centuries in a Test against Pakistan in 2014.

Tom Latham ODI Career 

Thomas first came into prominence when he struck a magnificent 130 off 119 balls against Wellington in 2012 in a List A game, after which he was called for the ODI against Zimbabwe. During the New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka, he smashed 86 off 63 balls to ensure a win for his team and was also awarded the Man of the Match.

In a 2012 ODI against Zimbabwe, Latham made his debut batting at number five and scored 24 runs. On July 30, he played his first Twenty20 International match against the West Indies, scoring 15 and 19 runs during the series. Latham participated in the ODI series during the tour as well. However, he was unable to make a major impact, as his best score was 32 runs. Following the tour of Sri Lanka, he produced a match-winning knock while scoring 86 off 68 balls after being called up to play against Bangladesh.

Latham was selected for the 2015 Cricket World Cup as a middle-order batsman and Luke Ronchi's backup wicketkeeper, despite playing as the opening batter in Test matches. In the first Test at Lord's, he kept wicket for New Zealand when BJ Watling was injured. He also shared wicket-keeping responsibilities with Watling during the Test match against England. 

Latham was chosen as the opening batsman for the 2015 tour of Zimbabwe. His maiden ODI century of 110 not out came in the second ODI of the series, which New Zealand won by 10 wickets to draw the series. He shared an unbeaten partnership of 236 with Martin Guptill during that match.

Latham became the tenth batter and the first New Zealander to carry his bat in an ODI in October 2016, when playing against India in Dharamshala. Latham was announced as the New Zealand wicketkeeper for the Hadlee-Chappell series in January 2017. He tied the record for most wicket-keeper dismissals in an ODI innings set by New Zealand in the opening match of that series. However, because of inconsistent form, he was dropped from the ODI squad during the series against South Africa.

Tom Latham Test Career 

In February 2014, he played his first Test match against India, finishing with 29 and 0 as his scores in the series. He played in all three Test matches and two Twenty20 matches while on a June tour to the West Indies with New Zealand. He finished second in the series list of top run-scorers with three half-centuries and 288 runs, only behind teammate Kane Williamson. By carrying out this, he contributed to his team's international series win. After a string of bad performances by current openers Hamish Rutherford and Peter Fulton, he took over the position of opening batsman by July 2014. On November 11, 2014, he struck 103 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi to record his first Test century.

In the third Test against Australia in the 2015-16 Trans–Tasman Trophy, the first ever day-night Test match, Latham became the first man to score a half-century in a day-night Test.

Tom’s ability to play spin bowling showed in the recent New Zealand tour of India in October 2017, when he hit a match-deciding knock of 103 from 102 balls against the feared Indian spinners to save his team from defeat.

He received a new contract with New Zealand Cricket in May 2018 along with twenty other players for the 2018–19 campaign. With 264 not out in December 2018, he achieved the highest ever score in Test cricket while carrying the bat against Sri Lanka. After Kane Williamson was ruled out of the match due to illness, Latham captained New Zealand for the first time in Test cricket in January 2020 during the third Test against Australia. Latham struck his 13th century in Test cricket in December 2022, during the opening Test match against Pakistan, making it the most by a New Zealand opener in Test history. In October 2024, Latham was selected captain of the New Zealand Test squad.

Tom Latham T20I Career 

On 30th July 2012, he played his first Twenty20 International match against the West Indies, scoring 15 and 19 runs during the series. Since making his debut in the T20I squad in 2012, he has failed to secure a position in the T20I squad of New Zealand. In his 26 T20 matches played so far, Tom Latham has scored 516 runs at an average of 26. During his T20 career, Tom Latham has struck eight sixes and 42 fours, with his highest score being 65 not out.

Tom Latham Captaincy 

Appointed as the captain of New Zealand national team at the age of 25, Tom Latham has done well in his role of Captain. In the 2010–11 Plunket Shield season, Latham made his Canterbury debut, amassing 65 runs in his first-ever first-class cricket innings. He had been a Canterbury youth cricket player, captaining the under-19 squad and participating in the 2008–09 Canterbury A team. For the Ireland Tri-Series against Bangladesh in Ireland in May 2017, Latham was called up again and was given the captaincy. With Tim Southee and Kane Williamson resting, Latham took over as acting ODI captain against the West Indies in December 2017. After Kane Williamson was ruled out of the match due to illness, Latham captained New Zealand for the first time in Test cricket in January 2020 during the third Test against Australia.

After Kane Williamson was ruled out of the match due to a shoulder injury in February 2020, Latham led New Zealand to victory by 4 wickets and 22 runs in the first and second ODI against India respectively. In October 2024, Latham was selected captain of the New Zealand Test squad.

Tom Latham Under-19 Career 

Having played a lot of youth cricket for Canterbury and in domestic circuits, Tom also captained the Canterbury U19 side and for Canterbury A team for the 2008 season. He made his debut for Canterbury in the 2010-11 Plunket Shield and was a part of the U-19 New Zealand side for the 2010 ICC U-19 World Cup.

Tom Latham Family 

Tom Latham is the son of Sally and Rod Latham, a former cricketer for New Zealand. He represented New Zealand in four Test matches and thirty-three One Day Internationals while playing cricket for Canterbury on the domestic circuit. He was a rugby union player for Canterbury as well. He was born in Christchurch. Tom is married to Nicole McAuley since 2019.