Chris Latino profile

Chris Latino

Dangerman:(Debut 2004)

Latino has come a long way since his early days at the club when he was simply known as Matty Freeman’s weird mate.

Today Latino is revered as a man who knows no fear on the cricket pitch, ever willing to sacrifice his body for the cause regardless of whether it means sliding into a sightscreen, concrete step or stopping a six with his chest. He has no regard for his own safety and will willingly sacrifice his own body to try and prevent a long hop being smashed to the boundary.

Despite curing himself of the habit of being stumped first ball, Latino endured a torrid time of things in 2006. This son of Italy, Scotland, Wales and Liverpool, a man of no fixed abode, suffered a serious knee injury that conjured up images of Heather Mills McCartney playing hopscotch in a minefield. His batting was duly affected and he ended the campaign with more catches (6) than runs (5).

Determined to rid himself of the tag of the new Wayne Cutts, Latino has knuckled down in 2007 and continues to work really hard on his batting. Of course so does Monty Panesar and it’s fair to say that there is a certain resemblance between the pair of them at the crease. However, it seems a safe bet that Latino will finish with more runs than catches this season and his battle with Cutts to finish higher in the averages promises to be a real humdinger. It also seems a safe bet that he will finish the season with fewer knee ligaments than when he started.

His greatest wish in life is to have his friend Freeman buy him a drink.