The 2018 year was a very eventful year in cricket. In 2018, a total of 48 Test matches had been played where we had seen some extraordinary batting performances in some crucial moments. Some of those became the game changers too.
Here we are going to briefly discuss the top five Test cricket knocks in 2018.
5. Tom Latham (New Zealand) 264* – against Sri Lanka at Wellington
New Zealand opening batsman Tom Latham played the highest Test innings knock in the year 2018 and that was the unbeaten 264 runs. During the Wellington Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, starting on 15 December, Latham led the host side to the dominant position with his brilliant unstoppable batting.
After bundling out the visitors for 282 runs, Latham played a brilliant guided innings of unbeaten 264 runs off 489 balls (21 fours and only six) which helped the hosts to reply with a giant 578 runs total in their first innings. It was the highest knock by an opener while carrying his bat in a completed Test innings. Also, it was the sixth highest knock by a New Zealand batsman in a Test innings.
The second highest knock in that innings was 91 by the skipper Kane Williamson. Ross Taylor (50) and Henry Nicholls (50) also played half-century knocks in that innings.
However, New Zealand failed to win that game after the heroic battings by the Sri Lankan batsmen Kusal Mendis (141*) & Angelo Mathews (120*) and the widely rain-interruption on the day five of the match. While the Test ended with a draw result, Latham won the Player of the Match award for his magnificent batting performances.
