Moeen Ali spins England to victory over South Africa with dramatic hat-trick to leave them one up with one to play

The oft maligned all-rounder removed the final three South African batsmen in three consecutive balls becoming the first to do so in the 100 Test history of The Oval

England are one up with one to play after Moeen Ali's heroics (Getty Images)

Moeen Ali is England’s second spinner, or so says his coach at least, but his countrymen wouldn’t swap him for anyone the world over after his dramatic hat-trick saw England through to victory in the third Test at the Oval.

The all-rounder, oft maligned for his unique brand of off-spin in years past, removed the final three South African batsmen in three consecutive balls becoming the first to do so in the 100 Test history of this famous old ground to secure a 239-run win and hand his side the crucial advantage ahead of Old Trafford and a series decider in just four days’ time.

In the end it was all too easy for Joe Root’s men. After Ben Stokes’ heroics the night previous the hosts returned on the fifth morning needing just six wickets and secured the last of them, much to the delight of the sozzled home crowd in the early afternoon sun, with well over a session to spare. But for much of the morning it did not look that way.


 Ali spun England to victory in dramatic style 
 (Getty Images)

The brilliant Dean Elgar, who would go on to make an outstandingly defiant 136, and Temba Bavuma returned to the crease knowing they must defy the weight of history, but after Stuart Broad’s early non-referral came and went with Elgar still 27 short of his personal milestone they looked more than assured as Root juggled his pack to shift the obdurate overnight pair to no avail.


 Earlier Elgar had frustrated the hosts 
 (AFP/Getty Images)

They passed a hundred together off 184 nuggety balls and looked set to frustrate deep into the afternoon before Toby Roland-Jones, hero of the first innings, speared one into Bavuma (32) that he could not quite get his blade down to fast enough. After much debate Root referred, the on-field decision overturned and the floodgates opened.


 Roland-Jones sparked England's march to victory 
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The very next ball Vernon Philander followed his captain Faf du Plessis’ ill-advised example of inexplicably shouldering arms to an all-too straight delivery from the debutant. The umpire’s index finger could scarcely have been raised quicker. That he did not walk off immediately was a surprise such was his adjacentness in front of all three.

Roland-Jones has enjoyed a fine debut (Getty)

Elgar continued unflustered though and duly reached the most deserving of hundreds, an eighth in Test cricket and his side’s first of this tour, and leapt in the air with a gusto that failed to bely the physical toil he had been subjected to over the last day and a half. That he could raise the bat to the skies at all was perhaps his biggest achievement of all, such was the severity of the bruising to his already battered hand.

Elgar's defiant century was the one bright spot for South Africa (Getty)

Moeen’s first of the innings came on the eve of lunch, in a manner that would later see him end the contest, teasing Chris Morris into a false stroke snicking to the waiting Stokes at slip for a speedy 24. With Elgar continuing serenely on his way at one end and the new ball looming many were looking to Messrs Anderson and Broad to wrap things up. But no one told Ali who had something else entirely in mind.


 Ali takes the plaudits of his teammates after his match-winning spell 
 (Getty Images)

First came Elgar whose magnificent innings was ended when he was snaffled by Stokes off a weary outside edge. The crowd, enjoying their bonus day of Test cricket to its fullest, gave him the farewell his exceptional innings deserved but with him exiting stage left the end was nigh. Kagiso Rabada followed Elgar back to the pavilion in carbon copy fashion before Morne Morkel was rapped on the pad and, after the added drama of a review, was sent on his way as Ali was enveloped by his ecstatic teammates. He is the hero of the hour once again and England are one up with one to play.