• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Tom Latham vs Hamish Rutherford

BackFootPunch

International 12th Man
Latham will probably debut first I guess although it won't be as an opener. If Guptill continues to stink up the opening spot then Rutherford should get a crack.
 

Dan

Hall of Fame Member
From the footage I've seen of Latham he looks talented, but definitely not ready to play Tests. He'll get in the side pretty soon though, IMO. Wouldn't be far off playing in the middle order.

Rutherford, again from what I've seen, looks inconsistent and his technique doesn't appear to be fantastic. I'm guessing he's a bit of a confidence player - if he makes a start he'll keep going, but if the bowler picks up on the holes in his technique, he'd be gone early. Like an opening version of Marcus North.
 

BackFootPunch

International 12th Man
From the footage I've seen of Latham he looks talented, but definitely not ready to play Tests. He'll get in the side pretty soon though, IMO. Wouldn't be far off playing in the middle order.

Rutherford, again from what I've seen, looks inconsistent and his technique doesn't appear to be fantastic. I'm guessing he's a bit of a confidence player - if he makes a start he'll keep going, but if the bowler picks up on the holes in his technique, he'd be gone early. Like an opening version of Marcus North.
Bang on re Rutherford. If he gets on top it's carnage.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
It's Tom Latham, no question. He's already in the set-up. Very few - none I can actually think of - players who score FC double hundreds don't play subsequently for NZ..so Rutherford must be a good chance.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Both will play well before they're ready, be found out at international level and end up stuck in no man's land between Plunket Shield quality and Test quality, frustrated at the lack of opportunity to play a level of cricket that they're neither too good for or not good enough for.

(Yes, I do realise that's not even remotely a big call)

I think Latham will have some ODI success though if they don't move him up and down the order repeatedly or occasionally ask him to keep wicket.
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
Latham will make the test side first, because he's already debuted in another format and we are more likely to have a middle-order spot available (it feels weird saying that after years where the top 3 were always hopeless, but unless Guptill is really bad for a long period and someone is bashing the door down I'd be reluctant to resume the top-order merry-go-round). Latham's technique looks pretty suspect to me though. I've seen less of Rutherford's batting but liked what I've seen so far, so that's why I predicted he'd outscore Latham this season.
 

Immenso

International Vice-Captain
I watched a bit of Rutherford's inning yesterday on the live stream. I was actually quite impressed with what I saw.

The reason I should be impressed, was my pre-conceptions are I was still a bit doubtful about him - based on my impression of watching his double ton last season on the pooch player (a limited base to make judgements). My impression of his 200 was he was a bit streaky. Should have been out golden duck to Kuggeleijn, and then seemed to score 75% of his runs smacking the ball in an arc from third man to mid-off, with not much foot movement.

Yesterday I thought he looked good. Fairly sold in defence, and he played some lovely straight, and off drives.
 

Blain

U19 Captain
Rutherford is a bit of a brute from what I have seen. But he has only had half a season of good form, he needs to average over 40 and get some runs in the other formats to push for a genuine spot. I'm suprised about the big scores he gets, I thought he was more of a quick 30 or 60 type of basman. Brownlie gets him out on 99... Man that is gutting.

Latham is probably more talented, he will probably be keeping for Canterbury this year and batting 4-5, I dont think Van Wyk is our keeper for the future so he could put pressure on him with runs. He still is probably a season or 2 away from making a real go at it, is only 21 and looks a bit uneasy against shorter stuff, although that is common at the start of a new season!!
 

Kippax

Cricketer Of The Year
Thread reminds me a bit of a game I used to play, next three test debutants. I was looking good to get all my pigeons home first once until a scandalous James Marshall over Peter Fulton decision. :laugh:

Hamish Rutherford, 99 vs. India A - YouTube

That square drive/cut he plays off about a fifth stump, he scores so heavily with that it makes a FTB tag tempting. Sweetly-timed off drives are a regular feature as well tbf. Did a search for pull and hook shots played in any innings within the vault*, there's one.

* I've got a short walk-through video for this now btw. I'll PM it to anyone who fancies using the vault over the summer, or has had problems and thinks it would pinpoint their issue.

Tom Latham, 132 vs. India A - YouTube

Note Rutherford's wagon wheel has been inverted (as if a right-hander), Latham's hasn't.
 

Attachments

Last edited:

_Ed_

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Very few - none I can actually think of - players who score FC double hundreds don't play subsequently for NZ
Good point. Raval is one that comes to mind who's done it and hasn't really been in the international reckoning yet. He could still get there in the future, though.
 

wellAlbidarned

International Coach
Thread reminds me a bit of a game I used to play, next three test debutants. I was looking good to get all my pigeons home first once until a scandalous James Marshall over Peter Fulton decision. :laugh:

Hamish Rutherford, 99 vs. India A - YouTube

That square drive/cut he plays off about a fifth stump, he scores so heavily with that it makes a FTB tag tempting. Sweetly-timed off drives are a regular feature as well tbf. Did a search for pull and hook shots played in any innings within the vault*, there's one.
Seems very accomplished at the old swish 'n' wish, doesn't look international standard at all.
 

Dan

Hall of Fame Member
Both will play well before they're ready, be found out at international level and end up stuck in no man's land between Plunket Shield quality and Test quality, frustrated at the lack of opportunity to play a level of cricket that they're neither too good for or not good enough for.

(Yes, I do realise that's not even remotely a big call)

I think Latham will have some ODI success though if they don't move him up and down the order repeatedly or occasionally ask him to keep wicket.
Sinclair?
 

Top