Captain Taylor Interviews

[brmtaylor.com admin]

You and Conant point to Vitori's bowling in the second innings. I'm more concerned about the first innings; the game was lost by then. In fact, there is no way I can draw conclusions about any bowler's effort in a First Class match, on just 7 overs, as with Ncube. That would be absurd. His poor effort in the second innings only served to exacerbate the problem and drive the point home

hhm, exacerbate what problem? The problem of being the leading wicket taker in the match across both teams?

If you followed the play closely in the first innings, you would have noticed that both Vitori&Chatara were a liability upfront. I doubt a combination of Meth&Mpofu would have allowed that to happen. And if that wicket had not fallen, we would be talking about a completely different story now. How you judge a leftarmer against lefthanded batsmen is in the manner in which he takes his wickets. Bar his wicket of a tailender, Hilfenhaus, I doubt his other wickets were held at even 1st or 2nd slip. How many of Paine's 98runs did he contribute before dismissing him? Full credit to him, for bowling Khawaja which would've been a beauty to see a left armer knock over a left handed batsmen's off stump, but Khawaja had to try and up the tempo under the circumstances, so his 'renowned' defence wasn't the key. You guys can't tell me you're not the least bit concerned that Vitori was, on both occasions, more expensive than the fast improving Elton.

I don't know what Vitori's economy rate was to the Australian openers but it cannot be as outrageous as you are making it out to be if he ended with an economy rate of 3.90 overall with 3 maidens. I can't imagine there is anyone else who believes that Vitori's economy rate being a grand total of 0.06 runs per over greater than Chigumbura's is a cause for concern.

I don't see why the position of the fielder when his wicket fell is of such great importance either, a wicket caught at deep square leg is worth the same as a wicket off a ball that takes the top of off stump. Only the aesthetic value of it changes. Sure it's great when a fast bowler is always knocking the stumps down, but not even Mpofu does that. To have been the leading wicket taker in the match would suggest he was generally bowling in good areas. Let's put it this way, I wonder what Ben Hilfenhaus would be more proud of... his actual match figures of 1/81 knowing that his one and only wicket was caught off a ripsnorter of a delivery - or - would he settle for 5/135 knowing that two or three of those wickets might have come about because the batsmen holed out to a fielder in the deep? I know what I'd prefer.

To try and discredit his performance because of things outside of his control (the game being lost by the first innings... there were six other bowlers who were responsible for Australia A scoring 439 and a number of batsmen responsible for only scoring 230) or hypotheticals ("if that wicket had not fallen, etc") is extremely unfair.

These are the facts:
- Vitori was the leading wicket taker in the match taking 5 of the 13 wickets. None of the Australian bowlers (led by Siddle and Hilfenhaus no less!) bettered his performance and they had 20 wickets to work with.
- Vitori took more key wickets (Khawaja, Paine, Warner) than any other Zimbabwean bowler, including Meth and Chigumbura who have international experience behind them.
- This game appeared to be an audition for the seam bowlers, whether any of them actually play in the first Test or not we won't know for quite a while. But as pleasing as it was to see Meth bowl economically or Chigumbura return to some form it was Brian Vitori who made an impact where it matters most; in the wickets column.

As far as I'm concerned, after this performance Vitori has laid down the challenge to the other fast bowlers. He is now one good performance away from taking a spot in the Test side.

[hhm]

Quit clutching at straws BRM! You seem to be overlooking the gist of my statements. Where he really got his wickets and his clearly sound statistics are not my grief, and I have not discredited his achievements. Vitori has made a good case for himself and richly deserved to be among the frontrunners if they don't already view him to be so, but overall he's not the right proposition to bring out the desired results for us right now. In time, perhaps, but not just yet. He needs to spend a lot of time studying Vaas, Mitch & Zaheer among others and see how best to integrate their wickettaking abilities into his own repetoire, before he has the right tools. Otherwise he risks falling down the pecking order as he is not the real deal(competition is stiff and I personally view Jarvis as a more viable outlet than him albeit right-handed). The seam of Mpofu, Meth & Elton (plus two of either Utseya, Price & Cremer) are the right way to go as they will get 20 wickets, but not at a premium or by yielding any significant early advantage to the opposition's top order. I have 'followed' his initial spells in every game he has played, and none of the batsmen facing him seemed troubled. I wasn't the least bit convinced and I doubt an interview with either of Warner, Khawaja and Hughes will tell a different story. In accordance with your wishes, let's hope he makes it in the Test XI, that way a brief lesson from Tamim will make you understand what I mean. The game will be on live television so we will revisit the subject then, if we are afforded that opportunity by the selectors. Willoughby of Sommerset may have ripped through the much-famed indian batting line up, but I doubt Majola and his thugs will come calling ahead of Australia's tour! He didn't master the abilities of the trio I mentioned above when it counted so his rendezvous with the Proteas was short-lived. The right steps need to be taken to ensure Vitori doesn't suffer a similar fate. History will have taught you that, unlike right-armers, in order to survive as a left-armer at this level you need to be either great or exceptional, nothing less.

[jimbo]

Vitori may well play in the second four dayer in order for the selectors to fully gauge how much he has come on. I would prefer Jarvis and masacadza junior myself.

A Five wicket haul for Jarvis will make this an interesting time