South Africa paceman Vernon Philander has played his last Test in Johannesburg against England and will now retire from international cricket.
Philander, 34, played 101 matches across all three formats, picking up a total of 269 wickets since making his debut with a T20I game against Ireland on June 24, 2007.
In his farewell Test, the last of the four-match series, he could not help South Africa win as the hosts lost to England by 191 runs, but the ace medium-fast bowler was applauded by his teammates, wife Mandy Hudson and Proteas support-staff after he walked back to the pavilion for the last time.
An emotional moment for @VDP_24 has he leaves the Test arena for the final time in his career 🇿🇦👋#SAvENG pic.twitter.com/rDFHtMyIci
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 27, 2020
Philander had announced before the start of the series that it would be his last in international cricket. In the fourth Test at the Wanderers, he took two wickets in the first innings and remained wicketless in the second in which he bowled just 1.3 overs. The Big Vern scored 4 and 10 in both innings.
A lap of honour for Vernon Philander after playing Test cricket at his home ground of Newlands for the final time 🙌pic.twitter.com/5xcDuoBgmJ
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 7, 2020
