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Somerset v South Africans, Taunton, 2nd day
The pace can wait for Morkel
Andrew Miller at Taunton
June 30, 2008
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Morne Morkel: first outing since injury © Getty Images
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This may be Morne Morkel's first Test tour of England, but he is no stranger to English conditions. He played for Kent during last season's Twenty20 Cup, and was back in England as recently as May, when he signed for Yorkshire as a short-term replacement for Rana Naved.
His stint at Headingley, however, proved shorter than intended when he suffered a grade 2 hamstring tear while playing against Nottinghamshire, and so, while there was little at stake during today's outing for South Africa at Somerset, it was nevertheless his first significant outing since coming back from injury.
Morkel finished the day as the pick of South Africa's attack with 3 for 64, including two wickets in a fiery new-ball burst that left Somerset reeling at 52 for 4 at lunch. It was, however, very much an exploratory outing on a flat and lifeless pitch. The pace and aggression for which he is already renowned can wait for a later date.
"I'm quite happy," he said at the close. "The timing wasn't quite there, the rhythm wasn't there, but I'll take it. I had my rehab back home so this was my first real bowl-out, to be honest. A couple of balls came out nicely, but my main objective today was not to bowl too quick or try too hard, just find a rhythm and get that match fitness going."
After the criticism that Andrew Caddick levelled at the Taunton track after the first day's play, this was clearly no pitch to be bending the back. That suited Morkel just fine in a measured performance ahead of the first Test at Lord's next week. "It'll do me good for my mental state, if I can bowl well on a flat wicket, especially when I haven't played for a while," he said. "The wicket is hard work but if you put in the hard work you'll get the results.
"I was playing around with the lengths a bit more today," he said. "I'd rather make my mistakes in the warm-up games than on the 10th of July. It was just an experience thing for me, to find out what lengths work, and what to do with the ball. It was a good training session, and it was hard work.
Much has been made of the pace and aggression of South Africa's line-up, but with Dale Steyn rested for this fixture and Makhaya Ntini also bowling within himself, there has been little on show that will trouble England's batsmen just yet. Nevertheless, Morkel has warned that he can get quicker, and will. "You can bowl as much as you want in the nets but you can never get enough game-time," he said. "Coming into Middlesex game [on Friday], plus nets, that will be more than enough to get ready for the first Test."
Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo
© Cricinfo
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