Game, set, but not yet match for Djokovic
PLUS: Notes from (near) the Oval #6 - is Latham better than Wright?
The decision by a court to quash Novak Djokovic’s visa cancellation is a stunning development. The story is so fast moving that it’s impossible to give a definitive statement on whether he will play in the Australian Open or not as I push send on this, so it’s easiest to direct you to the Sydney Morning Herald’s live blog (metered paywall).
About 10 minutes ago, The Age, a Melbourne-based paper, was reporting that several police and security guards had arrived at Djokovic’s lawyers’ offices.
They reported there was “about a dozen Victoria Police officers and several private security guards at the entrance to the firm’s carpark”.
It is believed Djokovic is inside the CBD tower above the carpark.
There is still speculation that the federal government will use wide-reaching powers to cancel the world No 1’s visa, despite the circuit court ruling of judge Anthony Kelly.
Kelly ordered the release of Djokovic from detention no more than half-an-hour after he made the order quashing the visa cancellation after earlier saying he was “agitated” as to why Djokovic’s exemption wasn’t honoured.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is reportedly considering whether to use his personal power under the Migration Act to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa. Should he takes that step, Djokovic could be prevented from entering Australia for three years media are reporting.
This is an incredibly complex, politically charged story.
Transcripts have been released of Djokovic’s interview with Border Force where he admitted to being unvaccinated and having had Covid twice, in June 2020 and just last month.
He has a huge, passionate Serbian fan base but is one of the most polarising sportsmen on earth.
If he is allowed to take his place in the tournament that starts next Monday, you can only guess at the level of protest and agitation that will be around Melbourne Park.
I fear it could get really ugly.
NOTES FROM (NEAR) THE OVAL #6
Ross Taylor’s test career could end as early as tomorrow. Watching him walk out through a Bangladeshi guard of honour was nice. Watching him hunker down and peel off three classic Taylor boundaries to start his innings hinted at something special, but in the end his innings was probably in keeping with his past couple of years, which have been more frustrating than prolific.
I will get to Taylor tomorrow, but today was Tom Latham’s day. Or Trent Boult’s.
Latham had a poor test at Mount Maunganui, and not just with the bat. By contrast everything he’s touched in his home town has turned to gold. After declaring at 521-6, he watched his bowlers tear through the visitors to dismiss them at stumps for 126.
After a skinless chicken salad, a bit of time on the masseur’s table and a good sleep, the bowlers will probably run through them again tomorrow and we’ll be again left scratching our heads as to how they laid an egg a week ago.
Watching Latham purr to a rapid double-point-five century raised the question as to whether he is New Zealand’s greatest opener? It’s been a problem position for most of New Zealand’s test history and a very short shortlist would probably look something like this:
Stewie Dempster; Bert Sutcliffe; Glenn Turner; John Wright; Mark Richardson; Tom Latham.
It’s a hopeless task trying to compare modern cricketers to those pre-white ball cricket. Dempster (65.72, two 100s) has easily the best average but played only 10 tests. Sutcliffe (40.10, five 100s) jumped around the order a bit in his later years but had a Boy’s Own quality to his cricket. Turner (44.64, seven 100s) played cricket in a tough time for batters but was also unavailable for long periods. Mark Richardson (44.77, four 100s) came to opening late and got out at the right time, but made the most of what he had.
Latham’s 12 test tons get him a seat at the top table among New Zealand test batsmen. There’s Kane Williamson (24), Ross Taylor (19), Martin Crowe (17) and then Latham, Brendon McCullum and John Wright. Latham’s average of 42.72 is higher than Wright and McCullum, and it took him 63 tests as opposed to McCullum’s 101 and Wright’s 82.
Yet there is something not quite right about the picture. For the purposes of this exercise let’s forget about McCullum, who played the first half of his career as a keeping allrounder and while he opened for a spell, he batted in ways that often defied logic or coaching manuals.
Instead it is more interesting comparing Latham to Wright, a fellow Cantab, southpaw and dedicated opener. Every indicator points towards Latham being a better player than Wright, yet I’m not sure. Without any trouble at all I can pull 10 test innings of Wright’s from the memory banks, including a couple of 99s.
Wright scored two centuries against Australia, one a back-to-the-wall counter-attacking 141 to try to save a test in Christchurch, the other a spectacular match-winning, fourth-innings knock at the Basin Reserve.
He specialised in painstaking centuries against England. Four of them. He also made an art form out of walking very slowly from the crease when he was dismissed, leaving the viewer in no doubt about the high price he put on his wicket.
Latham’s moments of brilliance should be easier to recall and yet they’re not. The reason might be who he scores the bulk of his runs against.
This is his third century against Bangladesh. He has two against Pakistan and four against Sri Lanka. He monsters decent, middle-drawer attacks from the subcontinent. He also has two against Zimbabwe.
In Wright’s time, you were measured by your success against the West Indies, England and Australia. In the modern game it’s India, Australia and, up until recently at least, South Africa.
This could be read as being mean spirited. Latham, after all, became just the second batter after Stephen Fleming to score two 250+ test scores for New Zealand. It’s also kind of how cricket works, right? If you only counted your good scores and disregarded the more troubling series, then everyone would be Bradman. In other words, Latham shouldn’t be penalised for scoring big runs against test teams just because they’re not Australia.
The 29 year old is one of New Zealand’s best modern-day players. His double century was an excellent riposte after his struggles a week ago. I can’t help but feel there are gaps on his resume, though.
Latham is not New Zealand’s best opener yet, but he could well end up there.
**
Speaking of racking up centuries, Devon Conway has three in five tests. Here are some other New Zealanders we recall fondly who scored three test centuries. The number of tests they played is in brackets.
Ken Rutherford (56), Jeremy Coney (52), Martin Guptill (47), Mark Greatbatch (41), Jeff Crowe (39), Graham Dowling (39), Bruce Edgar (39), John Parker (36).
It’s not easy scoring test centuries. Someone should tell Conway that.
**
You just knew Trent Boult (5-43) and Tim Southee (3.28) would strike back. Boult’s haul took him to 301 test wickets, while Southee is on 328. Will either have a chance of overhauling Sir Richard Hadlee’s NZ-record 431?
Boult goes at a tick over four wickets per test so unless he strikes a particularly rich vein of form, he’s going to need to play about 32 more tests, which would get him to 107. His last five completed calendar years he’s played 26 tests, so he’ll probably still need to be playing when he’s into his late 30s.
That is something Southee has said he wants to do, taking inspiration from James Anderson. He strikes at a tick under four wickets per test, so needs 26 more, which would get him to 109.
SPORT SELLS
There are some astonishing numbers here in this Huddle Up piece on the New York Times acquisition of subscription sports site The Athletic.
NO SUCH THING AS A DEAD RUBBER
I got home from the magnificent Southern Lakes just in time for the end of the fourth Ashes test. It was a draw in a dead rubber match. It was something else.
ONE HE’D LIKE TO HAVE BACK
For those who can’t be bothered clicking through, Consor was describing a NBA play where Kevin Porter Jr shot a three pointer. “Kevin Porter Jr, like his dad, pulled that trigger right at the right time.”
He though Porter Jr’s father was Kevin Porter, who played in the 70s and 80s. His father is actually Bryan Kevin Porter Sr, who pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in a shooting death of a 14-year-old girl in 1993, serving four-and-a-half years in prison. Porter Sr died in 2004 after being shot in a South Seattle bar. Porter Jr, who plays for the Houston Rockets, was four years old when his father was killed.
DIAMONDS ARE A…
Some more broken ground on the baseball diamond, this time it’s the Evil Empire New York Yankees leading the way by hiring Rachel Balkovec as the manager of its affiliate team the Tampa Tarpons, the first female to lead a minor league team.
ITCHY EYES TIME
As much as I am a one-eyed Cantabrian, and as much as I admire Tom Latham, I agree he's got some way to go yet to achieve John Wright's level as an opener, despite what the bare stats say. Wright batted through an era of fearsome West Indies bowling, and some famous Australian attacks, and faced them fairly often. His 141 against Thomson, Alderman and co in 1982 sticks in the memory, as does his 1990 captain's knock of 117* in Wellington against Australia, to create a comfortable win from the type of situation NZ traditionally found difficult. And then there was the 75 and 138 at the Basin in 1987 against Marshall, Garner, Walsh and Holding, when no-one other than Martin Crowe could score much at all. Wright scored centuries against all other test nations. Not many gaps in that resume.