STREAK_PROFILE_JUL95

LIMPOPO LIGHTNING by John Ward

Heath Streak

How many bowlers have taken 40 wickets before their 21st birthday? Very few. Top of the list is Kapil Dev, with a remarkable 87; Wasim (63) and Waqar (62) are next on the list. Outside of the Indian subcontinent, the only bowler I can think of to have achieved this remarkable feat is Zimbabwe`s spearhead,Heath Streak, who will just have celebrated his 21st birthday.

According to my calculations, the 26 by Cuan McCarthy in the late forties and early fifties is South Africa`s best. Heath, a professional hunter, has a powerful frame and a belligerent appearance to fit his calling in cricket. He is the latest and greatest in a long line of Streaks, stretching back almost to the end of the century, to have played club cricket in Bulawayo. His father, Dennis, played irregularly fot the national side between 1976 and 1985 as a fast-medium bowler. A superb, pacy pitch at Falcon College (near Esigodeni, Matabeleland) gave Heath the ideal preparation for his fastbowling career. He stepped automatically into the national Under-17 and then the Under-19 teams, and played three matches for Zimbabwe Under-24 team in 1992/93. He took a few wickets, but his most notable performance was an innings of 62 against Border.

This innings highlighted a fact that is easily overlooked: he has the ability to become a genuine all-rounder. Heath made a quiet first-class debut in 1993 for Zimbabwe B against the touring Kent team, followed by an uneventful tour of England with the national side. It was, of course, an invaluable learning experience, and his potential was self-evident. There was little surprise in his selection to tour India (for the Hero Cup) and Pkistan the fol- lowing season. He performed usefully without making any headlines in India before making his debut in the first Test in Pakistan. He took no wickets, but battled for more than two hours to score 19 not out. Then, in the second Test, his five wickets for 56 were the best figures in an innings ever achieved by a Zimbabwean.

Greatness was thrust on him during the Sri Lankan series last October. With Eddo Brandes and David Brain injured, the mantle of Zimbabwean soearhead fell unexpectedly onto Heath`s broad shoulders. He handled the role superbly, taking 13 of the 37 Sri Lankan wickets to fall during the series. During the limited- overs matches, the Zimbabwean bowling would have come apart at the seams, had it nor been for Heath, the one superb bowler in a rather mediocre attack.

He developed further in Australia, to the extent that he was head and shoulders above the rest of the bowlers when Pakistan visited in February. His 22 wickets (at an average of 13.54) in the series took his test total to 43; he was voted Player of the Series with Inzamam-ul-Haq; he appeared at least the equal of Wasim; and his nine wickets were vital to Zimbabwe`s maiden Test victory.

With such an outstanding bowler in the side, the temptation is always there to use him for too long rather than in short, sharp bursts, but Heath stood up well to almost 40 overs per Test. In the third Test, though, he had to overcome the pain barrier as he successfully bowled out Pakistan to leave Zimbabwe a reachable target - only for the side`s batsmen to waste it. But Heath fought better than most of his team-mates; he hit a defiant, unbeaten 30, competing to the very end.

Limited test programmes preclude a shot at Kapil Dev`s test bowling record, but he has the talent and determination to return comparative figures for years to come. We will watch with interest.