England beat South Africa to win first Test after impressive bowling from Moeen Ali and Co
Ali takes TEN wickets in unbelievable Lord's performance
MOEEN ALI teased and tormented the hapless South Africans as Joe Root completed a near-perfect start to his captaincy career.
Moeen took 6-53 – and 10-112 in the match – with one of the most devastating performances by an England spinner for generations.
He left batsmen groping cluelessly at the fizzing ball and offered a further rebuff to those who reckon he is not a proper spinner.
On a bone-dry pitch, Moeen could have been operating in India or Bangladesh rather than London – and he exploited the conditions with great skill.
With Liam Dawson taking four wickets in the match, it was the highest haul in a home Test by England spinners since Derek Undewood and Ray Illingworth shared 14 against the Aussies at Headingley in 1972.
It all added up to a crushing England victory by 211 runs in the Investec First Test at Lord’s.
During a frantic final day, a total of 19 wickets fell in just 64 overs as the match accelerated to its dramatic conclusion.
For Root, the first four days of his reign could not have gone more stunningly. He won the toss, scored a match-defining century and then watched Moeen wreak havoc against a touring team whose batting lacked skill and nous.
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Don’t forget Moeen also scored 87 in England’s first innings and, on Friday, became the fifth-fastest player of all time to reach 2,000 runs and 100 wickets. He now has 108 wickets.
Dawson was massively relieved to join the harvest in his second Test because, as a batsman, he was out for a second ball duck in both innings.
South Africa needed 331 for victory and the far-fetched nature of their target soon became clear. Wickets fell with great regularity.
Heino Kuhn was strangled down the legside by a fine, diving catch by Bairstow and Moeen’s first wicket came when stand-in skipper Dean Elgar drilled a return catch.
JP Duminy pulled a long hop from Mark Wood straight to mid-wicket and then Dawson snared his first victim – producing a beauty to trap Hashim Amla lbw.
Quinton de Kock whacked the ball onto his pad and the ball ricocheted onto the stumps and Temba Bavuma missed an attempted pull.
Theunis de Bruyn was caught at slip and Moeen completed his five-for when Maharaj also dragged on. No.6 – and ten in the match – came when Rabada feathered a cut.
The game ended when Morkel slogged a catch to deep mid-wicket.
Earlier, England lost their final nine wickets in just 27 overs.
Alastair Cook was caught at cover, Gary Ballance nicked a beauty from Morkel, Root dragged on and Ben Stokes was plumb leg before.
His new adversary Kagiso Rabada – banned for the Second Test after abusing Stokes on Thursday – placed his finger over his lips in self-mocking silence.
Moeen was bowled and Dawson missed a thigh-high full toss. Stuart Broad was caught at short leg first ball and Wood, after an enterprising ninth wicket stand of 45 with Jonny Bairstow, missed an attempted hoick.
Bairstow reached his half-century but was then last out, stumped off Keshav Maharaj.