Latham out of Wellington T20I; Neesham to lead

Latham out of Wellington T20I; Neesham to lead

Tom Latham has been ruled out of the fourth T20I against South Africa with an injury. Tom Blundell has been called in as cover for the Wellington encounter.

Latham was struck on the thumb by South African pacer Nqobani Mokoena during the third T20I. He continued batting and struck an unbeaten 63, helping the side to an eight-wicket win.

Medical staff assessed Latham's thumb post-match, and he was flown to Christchurch for scans. His involvement in the fifth T20I will be determined after the scan results.

James Neesham will lead the side in Latham's absence. This will be the first time in Neesham's decade-long career that he captains the side, making him the 12th New Zealander to captain the team in T20Is.