Top 5 unsung heroes of 2017

#2 Tom Latham

Tom Latham might only be 5 feet 6 inches tall, but he packs a punch. And the year 2017 has been a revelation for the 25-year old Canterbury lad.

In Tests, he started off with a bang, scoring 302 runs in 4 innings against Bangladesh. More often than not, he has helped New Zealand get off to a solid start ensuring the middle order isn’t exposed early.

In ODIs, after a string of low scores at the start of the year, Latham turned the year around brilliantly as he has 50-plus scores in his last 6 One-Day innings. And of late, the New Zealand team management has moved him to No. 5 due to his ability to play spin well and the move has worked superbly.

In India, he helped New Zealand chase down 280 after being 80/3 in Mumbai (first ODI). He continued his rich vein of form in the series as he finished as the second highest run-scorer in the series. He’s also kept wickets in recent times and has done a wonderful job.

Hence, his performances haven’t quite been noticed as the spotlight has been on a few of the other players in the team.