5 Highlights of Morne Morkel's Career

South African speedster Morne Morkel has called it quits from an international career.

He will retire from all forms of international cricket following the series against Australia. Morkel debuted for South Africa in 2006 and till now has gone on to play 83 Tests, 117 ODI’s and 44 T20I’s. He is just five wickets shy of the 300 wickets mark in Tests and in all likelihood he will finish his career after achieving the feat.

So with his retirement coming in a few month’s time now, we have a look at five top performances of the lanky speedster.

Picking up 6-23 against New Zealand at Wellington

Morkel bagged astonishing figures of 6/23 in the 3^rd Test of the tour of New Zealand which eventually ended in a draw. However, it was Morkel’s bowling which stood out for the Proteas in the match. New Zealand was set a target of 389 to win in the 2^nd innings, and it was Morkel who ripped through a top order.

He bagged all the six wickets which fell, as New Zealand finished the day’s play on 200/6.

Bagging 5/38 against New Zealand

It was a pretty lopsided affair as far as South Africa was concerned. He bagged 5/38, as the hosts whitewashed the Kiwis in the five-match series. It was Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis who made light work of the top-order. From there on it was Morkel who cleaned the middle and the lower order and the hosts registered a comprehensive 58 runs victory.

Another fifer against Australia at Perth

The tour wasn’t a happy one for the Proteas, but Morkel did have his moment in the series. He bagged a five-wicket haul, as the Proteas won the only match of the tour. South Africa bowled out the Aussies for a paltry score of 154. Morkel finished with exceptional figures of 5/21. South Africa won the match in the 28^th over. It was the only win for the visitors on the whole tour.

When Morkel played the role of an all-rounder

He wasn’t known for his abilities with the bat. However, he showed in March last year that he has a good willow to back up his exceptional bowling skills. South Africa was reduced to 302/9 in reply to New Zealand’s 269. When the Black Caps looked like finishing the innings off, the southpaw scored 40 off 63 deliveries and shared a brilliant partnership with Vernon Philander take South Africa to a total of 359.

He was good with the ball as well bagging two and three wickets, respectively in the two innings.

Impressive on Test debut

When Morkel made his debut against India in Durban in 2006, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, and Shaun Pollock were the main men in the South African bowling attack. But Morkel impressed, nonetheless. His first Test scalp was MS Dhoni, who fell victim to a full-length outside off stump delivery that he nicked to AB de Villiers in the slips.

He picked up a further two wickets in the game, and 58 runs in both innings, as South Africa won the match by 174 runs.

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