Surrey sign New Zealand batter for County Championship fixtures in June and July

Surrey have signed New Zealand batter Tom Latham for the five County Championship matches in June and July.

Latham’s time with Surrey will begin on 11 June away against Kent and will conclude with the fixture against Somerset in Taunton on 25 July.

Surrey members will get a chance to see the New Zealander at The Oval on two occasions, first against Lancashire on June 25 and then against Nottinghamshire on July 10.

A derby against Middlesex at Lord’s on 19 July rounds out his time with the Three Feathers.

Latham made his international debut for New Zealand in 2012 and is the current vice-captain of the Test and ODI teams.

It was recently announced he would return to T20 action for New Zealand in April as captain, his first T20 internationals since 2021.

In test cricket, he has hit 5,150 runs in 74 matches at an average of 41.53, whilst in first class cricket, he has tallied 10,385 runs in 147 matches at an average of 44.19.

Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart said: “I’m looking forward to welcoming Tom to The Oval. He is an international cricketer with a wealth of experience who will add to the quality of our batting line-up at a time when we are highly likely to lose players to England for The Ashes. 

“As we look to build on the success of 2022, it is important we can bring in quality talent when we need it. I’m confident Tom will be an outstanding addition to the squad of players we already have in place.”

Tom Latham added: “I’m thrilled to join Surrey this summer. I’ve really enjoyed my past experiences playing County Cricket and the challenge that English conditions bring.” 

“Surrey has a rich history and having the opportunity to play at one of the world’s best cricket venues in The Oval is something I’m relishing. I’m looking forward to joining Rory, Gareth and the team and doing as much as I can to help them successfully defend the Championship this year.”