Following wicket keeper batsman Tatenda Taibu’s outburst on the eve of the country’s return to the Test arena that showed all was not well, few would have hoped for anything positive to come from the series against Bangladesh.
However, coach Alan Butcher had a surprise for the Tigers.
In the deep end, he threw little known “muvhitori” Brian Vitori.
Before him, Hamilton Masakadza had excelled with the bat on his debut.
The debutant Masvingo-born Vitori did not disappoint as he ripped through the Bangladesh batting line-up with his five wickets for 30 runs, putting him in the privileged class of only seven bowlers in the world and the first locally to have notched five wickets on debut.
That feat saw Vitori, who was born to Vensen and Tendai Vitori on February 22 1990, joining South African legend Allan Donald (five wickets for 29 runs against India in 1991), Australia’s Tony Dodemaide’s five for 21 against Sri Lanka in 1988), Canada’s Austin Codrington’s five wickets for 27 against Bangladesh in 2003) and West Indies’ Fidel Edwards’s six for 22 runs against Zimbabwe in 2003 in taking five wickets on debut.
Many a local bowler had tried to achieve that feat on their debuts with Gary Crocker (four wickets for 26 runs in Zimbabwe’s 30 run loss to India in 1992), Everton Matambanadzo (four wickets for 32 runs), Bryan Strang (four wickets for 36 runs against Pakistan in 1995) and Duncan Fletcher (four wickets for 42 runs in Zimbabwe’s shock 13 run victory over Australia in 1983 World Cup) falling one wicket shot of the record.
Despite having made such a phenomenal presence in which, he took 10 wickets on his first two matches, that have since earned him a central contract, Vitori remains modest.
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“I just went into the match to play the game and help my country win the game. I have played in four games and have won all of them,” he said.The 21-year-old Southern Rocks player, who is the first Zimbabwean left arm seamer since the retired Brian Strang got into the limelight last year in a Pro40 semifinal against Tuskers in which his five wickets for 26 runs helped his side to progress to the final, in which they finally won.He was then picked in the Zimbabwe XI squad that played Australia and South Africa, where he took five wickets against Australia, albeit in a losing cause in the first four-day match.
He was there again for Zimbabwe against Bangladesh where he made his debut appearance in the longer version of the game with 5/122.Vitori started playing cricket while in grade four at ZRP Zimuto Primary School.
“I enjoyed playing volleyball, but had to play cricket because my brother Saul, who was a cricket enthusiast, wanted a partner. It was only while I was in Grade four that I took the sport seriously with the coaches, Mufaro Chiturumani and Josh Paul urging me on. I continued to play the sport up to Victoria High School, also in Masvingo, before moving to Milton High School in Bulawayo for A-Levels,” he said.
Vitori, who was part of the Zimbabwe Under-19 team that toured Namibia in 2008, always feels grateful for representing his province.“I know they always look up to me and say ‘he is one of us’,” he said.
Vitori then joined his home side Rocks in 2009, where he played in the B team of the franchise.
“I was only promoted to the A team last year and played the last eight games of the season and the semi-final and final of the Met Bank Pro40. I was then selected for the 32-man squad that was preparing for the return to Test cricket and subsequently the final 16,” he said.
His bowling coach Heath Streak is equally ecstatic about the young man’s bowling prowess.
“It might be early days yet, but it was a good start for him. I put him in the same stead as Wassim Akram who made a huge impact on his debut. Let’s wait and see as the opposition gets stronger,” he said.
His father Vensen could only say: “I was supposed to have come and watch him play, but there was a funeral in the family. I am happy for him,” he said.Vensen, not a big cricket fan, has started following the game because of his son.
Zimbabwe plays Bangladesh in the last ODI.
