Black Caps v West Indies: Tom Latham’s brave decision pays off for New Zealand - Opinion

Tom Latham celebrates his 15th test century, against the West Indies at Bay Oval. Photo / Photosport

By Andrew Alderson at Bay Oval

Beyond the wall of runs, Tom Latham’s captaincy took another step of positive intent on the opening day of the third New Zealand-West Indies cricket test.

Sure, he posted a 15th century and looked resolute with the bat on his way to 137.

A solitary blemish came at 253 without loss on 104. He fished outside off stump to Anderson Phillip and edged to wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach, whose iron gloves offered a reprieve.

Latham otherwise left judiciously, dabbed singles into the offside to rotate the strike, and worked the ball effectively off his hips and legs to dull the tourists’ vim.

A textbook opening stand of 323 across 86.4 overs with Devon Conway saw the visiting attack blunted on a pitch which is already drying, making the hosts’ selection of left-arm orthodox spinner Ajaz Patel more prescient.

The surrounding strips offered a gauge that a crispy golden hue is forthcoming, and Patel could bowl into fourth-innings footmarks.

That marked the first decision Latham got right.

Pre-match, he stood with a rugby ball propped under his left arm alongside coach Rob Walter, who mimicked Rodin’s Thinker. The pair looked down the pitch for some period, mulling the team selection decision over.

No Sistine Chapel white smoke puffed from the dressing room, but about 15 minutes later Kristian Clarke emerged and started to warm up. Crucially though, he never grabbed the paint to mark a run-up.

Then Patel popped out and started bowling, throwing the press box into a quandary.

The benefit of hindsight suggests Latham and Walter got the call bang on. Clarke’s time will come. The pitch had baked in the Bay of Plenty sun and the solitary Plunket Shield match hosted at the ground had seen spin claim 20 of the 31 wickets. Plus, the West Indies demonstrated minimal impact with pace.

The choice to don the pads also paid dividends.

Plenty of talk before the game surrounded whether recent rain had freshened the block and offered more to seam, especially without huge volumes of sun forecast to roast the pitch.

Latham held his nerve and stuck to a plan, then led by example.

Curiously the last New Zealand captain to win the toss, bat and triumph in a test at home was Daniel Vettori in the 189-run victory against England at Hamilton in 2008.

Latham could be about to break the drought.