Vernon Philander facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Vernon Philander

Philander in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Vernon Darryl Philander
Born	(1985-06-24) 24 June 1985 (age 40) Bellville, Cape Province, South Africa
Nickname	The Surgeon, VDP, Vern, Pro, V-Dawg
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast-medium
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	South Africa (2007–2020)
Test debut (cap 311)	9 November 2011 v Australia
Last Test	24 January 2020 v England
ODI debut (cap 86)	24 June 2007 v Ireland
Last ODI	23 August 2015 v New Zealand
ODI shirt no.	24
T20I debut (cap 29)	11 September 2007 v West Indies
Last T20I	16 December 2007 v West Indies
T20I shirt no.	24
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2003/04–2015/16	Western Province
2004	Devon
2005/06–2018/19	Cape Cobras
2008	Middlesex
2012	Somerset
2013	Kent
2013	Jamaica Tallawahs
2015	Nottinghamshire
2015/16	South Western Districts
2017	Sussex
2018	Durban Heat
2019	Cape Town Blitz
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 64 30 168 129 Runs scored 1,779 151 4,941 1,418 Batting average 24.04 12.58 26.14 23.63 100s/50s 0/8 0/0 3/17 0/5 Top score 74 30* 168 79* Balls bowled 11,391 1,279 29,108 5,419 Wickets 224 41 580 129 Bowling average 22.32 24.04 21.82 32.61 5 wickets in innings 13 0 24 0 10 wickets in match 2 0 2 0 Best bowling 6/21 4/12 7/61 4/12 Catches/stumpings 17/– 6/– 41/– 12/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 28 January 2020

Vernon Darryl Philander, born on 24 June 1985, is a well-known South African cricket coach, commentator, and former player. He was a right-handed bowler who could also bat well, making him an "all-rounder." Before playing for the senior team, he represented South Africa at the Under-19 level. He played for the South Africa national cricket team and the Cape Cobras in South African cricket. In December 2019, Philander announced that he would retire from international cricket after a Test series against England.

Playing for Local Teams

Vernon Philander played for several cricket teams in South Africa and England.

Early Career and Tournaments

He was chosen for a special tournament in Australia for new, talented players. In the final match against New Zealand A, he took 3 wickets for 30 runs. He also scored 59 runs very quickly, helping South Africa win the tournament.

Playing in England

Philander also played for different county cricket teams in England. He played for Middlesex in 2008. Later, he joined Somerset in 2012 and Kent in 2013.

Mzansi Super League

In October 2018, Philander was picked to play for the Durban Heat team. This was for the first ever Mzansi Super League, a Twenty20 cricket tournament. In September 2019, he joined the Cape Town Blitz team for the next Mzansi Super League. In April 2021, he was named in the Western Province squad for the upcoming cricket season.

International Cricket Journey

Vernon Philander had an amazing start to his international career.

First Matches for South Africa

Philander played his first One Day International (ODI) match on his 22nd birthday. This was against Ireland in Belfast. He took 4 wickets for only 12 runs, which was a fantastic performance that helped his team win.

On 9 November 2011, Philander made his Test cricket debut against Australia. He was named the "Man of the Match" for his excellent bowling. He took 5 wickets for just 15 runs in Australia's second innings. Australia was bowled out for only 47 runs, which was their lowest score in a Test match since 1902. Philander was also named "Man of the Series" for taking 14 wickets in two matches.

The next month, Philander took 5 wickets in each innings of the first Test against Sri Lanka. This made him only the fifth player in history to take 5 wickets in an innings in his first three Test matches. Because of these great performances, he was given a national contract by Cricket South Africa in January 2012.

Rising Through the Ranks

In a series against New Zealand in March 2012, Philander continued to perform well. He took 5 wickets in the first Test match. In the second Test, he took 4 wickets for 70 runs and then 6 wickets for 44 runs. This was his second time taking 10 wickets in a single match.

In the third Test, Philander took 6 wickets for 81 runs in the first innings. During this match, he reached 50 Test wickets in only his 7th game. This made him the second-fastest bowler ever to reach 50 Test wickets. Only Charles Turner, who played in 1888, reached the milestone faster.

In October 2012, Philander was part of a strong South African bowling attack. The team's bowling coach, Allan Donald, said it was the best bowling group the country had ever had. The group included Philander, Dale Steyn, and Morné Morkel.

In 2013, Philander was one of the South African bowlers who helped bowl out New Zealand for just 45 runs. This was the lowest Test match score of the millennium at that time.

On 20 December 2013, Philander took his 100th Test wicket against India in Johannesburg. He reached 100 wickets in only 19 matches, which was one of the fastest times ever. On the same day, he also scored 59 runs while batting, showing he was a good all-rounder. These efforts helped him become the number one ranked Test bowler in the world for 2013.

On 12 November 2016, Philander took his tenth set of 5 wickets in a Test match. This was during a game against Australia. Australia was bowled out for only 85 runs, which was their lowest score in a home Test in 32 years. This was also the third time Philander had taken 5 wickets in a match where the opposing team scored less than 100 runs.

Retirement from International Cricket

In December 2019, Vernon Philander announced that he would retire from international cricket. His last international series was a Test series against England. He officially retired after that series ended.

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Vernon Philander started coaching. In September 2021, he joined the Pakistan cricket team's coaching staff. He helped coach them for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup held in the UAE.

See also

• List of South Africa cricketers who have taken five-wicket hauls on Test debut