Proteas seamer Vernon Philander is anticipating an emotional farewell at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday.

The second Test against England will be Philander’s last at Newlands. He has taken 51 wickets in 10 Tests at the iconic Cape Town venue and will retire from all forms of international cricket at the end of this four-match series.

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‘This has been a special place for me and I’m pretty sure that come 3 January it will be emotional. This place has been good to me,’ Philander told media at the ground on Wednesday.

‘I started here in 2003, so it’s 17 years of playing at this wonderful venue. When you come in here you still see the same faces from 2003 coming to support us, and I think that’s wonderful. There is no better place to be playing your cricket.’

The veteran right-armer is looking forward to bowling alongside seamer Dwaine Pretorius and spinner Keshav Maharaj, among other, again. Philander, Pretorius, Maharaj and others were key to the Proteas’ 107-run win in last week’s first Test in Centurion.

‘You have to complement each other and understand what’s happening on the other side,’ he added.

‘I think we have complemented each other really nicely in the last Test match. It’s about understanding your role as a bowler within the set-up, but this will be a whole new Test match here in Cape Town.’

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