Morne Morkel bowled seven overs for Surrey’s seconds as he returned to action for the first time since being injured in the fourth Test against Australia in early April.

He has been in rehab since joining Surrey on a two-year Kolpak contract.

The 33-year-old Morkel, who had already announced his retirement from Test cricket, played through the pain of a severe side strain in his final Test. He finished with returns of 1-34 and 2-28, ending his 86-Test career with 309 wickets.

In this List A match in the gentle surroundings of Sunbury Cricket Club, on the banks of the River Thames, Morkel bowled was as tight as ever, conceding 28 runs from his seven overs (although he did bowl six no-balls). Earlier he had hit 17 off 16 balls, with two mighty sixes, as Surrey accumulated 212-9 in 50 overs.

Provided there are no adverse reaction, Morkel could be considered for the Royal London One-Day match against Essex on 27 May. The next first-class match is only on 9 June, by which time Surrey’s overseas player, his former teammate Dean Elgar, will have returned to South Africa to prepare for the Proteas tour of Sri Lanka.

With Morkel at Sunbury was the former Dolphins fast bowler, Mathew Pillans, who signed a three-year deal for Surrey in 2016.

He ended with 0-43 off eight overs as Surrey went down by eight wickets.,

Elsewhere, David Wiese, who has had a lean time with the bat since a marvellous hundred in mid-April, smashed an unbeaten 58 off 37 balls(three fours, three sixes) to help Sussex reach 314 in their Royal London One-Day match against Somerset. He also took 1-43 off eight overs to help dismiss Somerset for 266.