Tom Latham equals Glenn Turner’s decades old record for New Zealand

Tom Latham scored an unbeaten 264 as the hosts plundered runs upon runs in the first innings. New Zealand ending up with a score of 578, an overall lead of 296.

After a relatively poor series against Pakistan in UAE Tom Latham feasted on the Sri Lankan bowlers in the first innings of the first Test match of the series.

New Zealand's batsman Tom Latham walks back to the pavilion at the end of team's first innings with 264 runs during day three of the first Test cricket match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. (AFP)

The left-hander scored an unbeaten 264 as the hosts plundered runs upon runs in the first innings. New Zealand ending up with a score of 578, an overall lead of 296.

During his innings, which is sixth highest for a New Zealand batsman, the 26 year old became the second youngest batsman for the Kiwis to score more than 250. Only Glenn Turner at the age of 25 is ahead of him in terms of being younger for scoring 250 for New Zealand.

Tom Latham also carried his bat and thus became only the second Kiwi batsman to do so, only Glenn Turner before him had done so for the Black Caps. Turner did it twice in 1969 and 1972 against England and West Indies respectively.

Sri Lanka were struggling at the end of day 3 in Wellington still 276 runs behind and having just seven wickets in hand. Latham will be hoping that the bowlers can do the job that the batsmen have set up for them on the fourth day of the match, so that he has a victory to savour as well in what has been a historic Test for him personally.