Newlands is uitverkoop vir Vernon Philander’s farewell Test match in the Mother City.
The Cape legend will play in his final Test on home soil when South Africa take the field against England on Friday.
And true to form, the Newlands faithful will be there to cheer him on with the first four days sold out according to Ticketpro.
Of playing his final Test in front of his home fans, the man from Ravensmead says: “It’s been a special place to me and I’m pretty sure it will be emotional [to play my final Test at Newlands].
“The place has been good to me… I’ve spent 17 years of playing at this pretty venue.
“The Newlands faithful – you come here and see the same faces from 2003 and there is simply no better place to play cricket than Newlands.
“I am looking forward to it.”
South Africa won the first Test at Centurion Park by 107 runs and will need “Pro” Philander to be at his best if they want to make it 2-0 in the four-match series.
Philander has played 10 of his 61 Test matches at Newlands and has taken a total of 51 five-day wickets at the ground.
EMOTIONAL: Vernon Philander on his final test at Newlands. Video: Twitter/@LloydBurnand.
With an overall bowling average of 22, Philander averages just 18 at his home ground.
One of his most memorable moments at Newlands was the day he took five New Zealand wickets for just seven runs to help bowl out the Kiwis for 45 runs in the first innings of the New Year’s Test in 2013.
While a repeat performance of that day is highly unlikely, you can be sure that Newlands will roar every time Philander bags a scalp this weekend.
Philander’s Top 5 Performances at Newlands:
1) 6/42 v India, 5 Jan 2018
2) 5/7 v New Zealand, 2 Jan 2013
3) 5/15 v Australia, 9 Nov 2011