Good guy Morkel beats the ‘baddies’ in massive SA win
The Proteas' lanky quick bids farewell to Newlands in the best possible fashion as the Australians, almost predictably, crumble.
South African bowler Morne Morkel celebrates the dismissal of Australian batsman Pat Cummins during the fourth day of the third Test cricket match between South Africa and Australia at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on March 25, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / GIANLUIGI GUERCIA
There’s a risk that all the drama surrounding Australia’s admission of ball-tampering will overshadow it all but the Proteas deserve all the credit for their 322-run win over their embattled opponents in the third Test at Newlands on Sunday.
This is a truly magnificent triumph, enabling them to take a 2-1 lead with just one match remaining.
Given how Steve Smith and David Warner were stripped of their leadership roles before the start of the day’s play, it was probably unlikely that Australia had much of an appetite for a fight.
Smith’s day became even worse when he heard the International Cricket Council had suspended him from the Johannesburg Test.
Nonetheless, the Proteas could only handle what was in front of them and they did so ruthlessly.
In a Test where good guys have been hard to come by, Morne Morkel fully deserved his match haul of nine wickets in his last international match at the iconic ground.
The lanky veteran quick was at his hostile best in grabbing 5/23, playing the main role in helping the visitors slump to 107 in their chase of 430.
Morkel is calling it a day after this series and seemed set for an inglorious send-off when he was dropped for Lungi Ngidi in Port Elizabeth.
But the youngster’s toe injury gave him an opening … and he took it like a boss.
The 33-year-old has played it like a gentlemen this whole series.
It’s nice to see good guys winning the race.
Yet it was wily Keshav Maharaj that started the Aussies’ collapse.
Having fought their way to 57/0, Cameron Bancroft – the main actor in the ball-tampering drama – was run out after sharp work from Faf du Plessis.
Maharaj took the gap to snap up two wickets in two balls.
The first was juicy looper outside off that Usman Khawaja edged to slip before Aiden Markam brilliantly caught Shaun Marsh at short leg.
From there on it was the Morkel show as the Australians lost all 10 their wickets for just 50 runs.
Earlier, the Proteas strode merrily to 373 in their second innings.
Quinton de Kock took advantage of some half-hearted bowling to make 65 while Vernon Philander batted superbly for his unbeaten 52.
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