Tom Latham is hoping familiarity brings form in New Zealand's Cricket World Cup match against England tonight.
The Riverside Ground is the home of Durham, the county where the Black Caps wicketkeeper-batsman has played the previous two northern summers.
Latham's wicket-keeping at the tournament hasearned a tick, with 14 catches and the concession of two byes; his batting has struggled, with a top score of 14 in six innings at No 5.
"It's always nice coming back to somewhere you've had personal success, even if you're adapting to a new surface," Latham told the Herald from the South Northumberland club where the team practised in Newcastle.
"I've caught up with some players and coaches I've played with to check what they think, but it only gets real when you're down at the ground."
Latham's success at Durham in 2017 saw him welcomed back last year.
He averages 45.6 from 10 first-class innings at Chester-le-Street, but that drops to 20.5 in four ODI knocks and 22.4 in 10 T20 outings.
New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan has backed Latham to come right, when asked about the status of the wicketkeeper and opener Martin Guptill.
"One thing you notice about tournament play is you have fluctuations in form throughout, and you've got to ride with that. Obviously both those players are a touch short on runs.
"I've thrown a lot of balls at Tom over the last few days and had a lot of conversations ... we know we've got two players who at their best can put world-class performances on the board and help the team win games."
Tom Latham is hoping for a bit more luck with the bat at the World Cup. Photo / Photosport
Latham has appealed for faith that his past success will return. That need for patience and self-belief has been compounded by reserve wicket-keeper Tom Blundell sitting unused, despite scoring a century in the warm-up against the West Indies and making 77 against an Australian XI in Brisbane en route to England.
"It's one of those tournaments that, when things aren't going so well, it can get on top of you when the games come thick and fast," Latham said.
"The biggest thing is about trust. I've done it against these teams before and it's about coming back to doing things you know you do well.
"Sometimes you can look for a magic bullet, but you've got to try to peel things back to keep it as simple as possible. Things felt pretty good against the Aussies on a tricky wicket [Latham made 14]."
Latham can point to past form against England, who have a similar attack – less Jofra Archer and Liam Plunkett – to the one he faced in innings of 79 and 71 during the five-match ODI series of the 2017-18 summer.
"Hopefully I can sort out the preparation I think I'm going to need against a side which I had some success against a couple of summers ago.
"It's why cricket's a levelling sport, and I look forward to that challenge."
The Alternative Commentary Collective are podcasting their way through the World Cup. Known for their unconventional sports analysis and off-kilter banter, the ACC have come to ask the tough questions. Here's the latest episode of 'The Agenda':
