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Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
DANGAMVURA-BORN and bred cricketer, Tendai Chatara might have forgotten the planned baby-welcome celebration style when he set a new Zimbabwe record for the fastest 100 wickets, but the talented bowler reckons it’s a feat that that will be remembered long after he is gone.
A historic feat achieved in 76 matches, Chatara joined an elite class of cricketers that include Grant Flower, Graeme Crème, Raymond Price, Heath Streak and Prosper Utseya.
By attaining that feat in 76 matches, TC or Chats, as he is fondly referred to by his peers and fans in the gentleman’s game, also became the fastest Zimbabwe bowler to a century of ODI wickets, surpassing the record of former captain and fast bowler, Streak who needed 81 matches to reach the landmark.
Chatara had planned a baby-welcome celebration style to seize the opportunity to celebrate the birth of his third child – his first son – born in September last year, but failed to do so due to national commitments.
Tadiwanashe Matipa Chatara who was named by his grandfather is now four-months-old.
The 30-year-old seamer could have achieved this feat earlier had it not been injuries that blighted a blooming career.
In 2015, the former Zimbabwe Under-19 player broke his shin which kept him out of action for more than a year.
He later suffered a bicep injury in 2020.
Upon his return to action, Chatara showed more hunger for success as Zimbabwe got down to limited-overs series in Ireland and Scotland.
“This is something that I know will be remembered long after I am gone. I am really happy to have achieved this feat. I cannot explain the joy in words.
“Unfortunately, I could not celebrate it the way I had planned because of the pressure that comes with the game when you have targets as a team, but all the same I am happy that I attained the feat,” said the soft spoken fast bowler.
Even though the Chevrons failed to get the result they badly needed in the recent series against Sri Lanka, Chatara gave his all and in the end achieved individual glory in his illustrious career.
Zimbabwe, seeking a series win in the third one-day international at Pallekele last Friday, did very well to restrict Sri Lanka to a score of 254 for nine wickets, only to collapse under pressure in their innings to be bowled out for 70.
A tall, wiry fast bowler with appreciable pace and the ability to move the ball away from the right-hander, Chatara has risen quickly to prominence since his first-class debut for Mountaineers in 2009, thus he urged youngsters in Mutare to take the sport seriously.
“I think I have done enough to motivate youngsters around Dangamvura, Chikanga and Sakubva to take sport seriously, cricket in particular. They can achieve their dream if determined,” said the product of Zimbabwe Cricket’s talent identification programme.
Chatara was quite brilliant in the domestic circuit, especially in his first-class career.
He made his first-class debut in 2009 for Mountaineers against Mid West Rhinos.
He immediately made an impression, giving away just 25 runs from seven overs in the first innings with a brilliant economy rate of 3.57.
He soon rose to prominence with 71 wickets from just 20 matches.
He performed well in other formats as well such as List A and Twenty20 cricket.
Chatara made his List A debut for Mountaineers against Mashonaland Eagles. In the match, he got his maiden List A wicket with the dismissal of Cephas Zhuwao.
Chatara made his Twenty20 debut for Mountaineers against Mid West Rhinos in 2010, taking one wicket, his maiden Twenty20 wicket, with the dismissal of Zimbabwe’s wicket keeper-batsman, Brendan Taylor.
In December 2020, Chatara was selected to play for Mountaineers in the 2020-21 Logan Cup.
Online Reporter