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Kyle Malcolm Jarvis: ZC’s latest experiment

By Tinashe Kusema

“WHEN you have two genuine pace bowlers in your side to open your attack upfront, you are 70 percent closer to winning a match.”

These are the words of one of the country’s top cricket analysts, Dean du Plessis, on the secret to winning a cricket match. These words seem over the years to have caused Zimbabwe Cricket sleepless nights as they continuously search for the formula to turn their fortunes around and reclaim their status on the international scene.
Numerous theories on why Zimbabwe haven’t been able to strike the right cord and build some consistency on the winning front have done the rounds in this once great cricketing nation. Most of the blame has been laid on some of the senior players who often fail to justify their inclusion into the team and the desertion by the country’s top players in 2004.
However, the answer, according to Du Plessis, is simple: the country lacks genuine pace bowlers. A look through the archives of some of the world’s top sides sees a reliance on pace to lead the bowling, with some of the sport’s greatest legends being seamers — namely Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Wasim Akram, Courtney Walsh, Glen Magrath, Chaminda Vaas and, even locally, Heath Streak and Eddo Brandes having shown the way.
The country’s search for genuine seamers has over the past five years failed with names like Edward Rainsford, Christopher Mpofu and Anthony Ireland all falling by the wayside due to inconsistency.
Some names even failed to make an impression in the country’s first-class cricket structures with a notable example being Taurai Mandizha who came and went relatively unnoticed last year. He left unceremoniously after just a couple of games, in particular a match between Easterns and Northerns, into which he had been incorporated for exposure, where he went for 37 runs in one over.
In comes the country’s latest experiment with pace, Kyle Malcolm Jarvis, the former St John’s College student who made his international debut last week during Zimbabwe’s opening ODI 91-run victory over Kenya on Monday taking three wickets for 36 runs.
He is said to be capable of bowling at an average of 140km/h, and may grow to be one of the country’s best finds since Tinashe Panyangara if given enough time to mature and at the highest level.
Jarvis himself is no stranger to the big stage despite his lack of first class experience after facing some of the game’s best during last year’s Indian Premier League in South Africa.
“I played a few Twenty-20 warm-up games for the IPL season last year, when I was at Tuks Academy in Pretoria, coming up against players like Cameron White, Nathan Bracken, Jacque Kallis, Dale Steyn and Mark Boucher, who all turn out for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“I fared pretty well taking some wickets but will treasure the experience most. I have also represented Zimbabwe in the junior structures between 2001 and 2008 playing for the Under-13 to U-19,” he said.
Born on February 16 1989, Jarvis first took up cricket at a very tender age largely due to his father, Malcolm, who used to take him along to matches when he was still a player and later manager.
“I owe my love for cricket largely to my father, who I spent a lot time with when I was still young during his days as a player and manager. I remember when I went on tour with him to New Zealand and we shocked the host and I remember thinking there and then that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
“He has continued to be my guiding light by pointing out my weaknesses and strengths,” said Jarvis.
St John’s College was to be the platform from which he would kick-start his career and tread on the path to greatness.
“I then went to St John’s College from Grade One to Upper Six, where I took up cricket and never looked back leading to call-ups to the Zimbabwe Under-13, 16, 19 and eventually the senior national team,” said Jarvis.
For the last year and a half, the 20-year-old has been in South Africa perfecting his art at Tuks Academy in Tshwane, which he believes has been a monumental experience for him in his career.
“During my stay at Tuks Academy I had the pleasure of working with South Africa’s fitness trainer, Rob Walters, and Anton Roux, who have helped me in my game in terms of stamina and fitness, leading to my call-up to the national team,” he went on.
Now, the impressive Jarvis is set to enter the next phase of his promising career after he, together with former England pace bowler Chris Silverwood, signed contracts with the Eagles Franchise.
Jarvis now leads a crop of youngsters who might just answer the call for pace by Zimbabwe Cricket with notables being Shingirai Masakadza, Admire Manyumwa and Trevor Garwe, all in line to partner Elton Chigumbura with the bowling.

He is said to be capable of bowling at an average of 140km/h, and may grow to be one of the country’s best finds since Tinashe Panyangara if given enough time to mature and at the highest level.

slinga wrote:But the thing that worries me is that he is getting all this praise for his pace, he bowls at 140 etc etc, but he went at 6's against a very weak Kenya side.. Hopefully he'll learn quickly with Streaky around..