Moeen Ali’s career-best bowling helped Joe Root start his tenure as England Test captain with a resounding 211-run victory inside four days as 19 wickets fell in three remarkable sessions at Lord’s on Sunday.
Jonny Bairstow also lifted England to a second-innings 233 with a defiant half-century, after a collapse of seven wickets for 43 runs, and then kickstarted South Africa’s descent to 119 all out with an athletic leg-side catch as their attempt to pull off the ground’s second-highest run chase veered instead on to the fast track to defeat.
Spin then predictably did much of the damage on a decidedly helpful surface, as Moeen (six for 53) finished with a 10-wicket match haul and Liam Dawson did his bit too with two scalps. Here are the talking points and quick round-up of the day’s play.
The perfect start to the Root captaincy! Well played @englandcricket! What a game for Rooty and Moeen! Awesome to watch 👌🙌#ENGVSA
— James Taylor (@jamestaylor20) July 9, 2017
The surface has been out of keeping with many at Lord’s of late. Pace and carry on day one soon fizzled out, to be replaced with early spin – mostly from the rough, but increasingly wicket-to-wicket – and variable bounce. Some may yearn for the featherbeds of previous summers, but conditions produced a fair balance between bat and ball and surely a good Test for all.
Bairstow has hit a half-century in all but one of his last five Tests – maintaining his standards even through England’s losing run in India last winter, falling only a single short in his one match without a half-century. He was back with another hugely valuable 51 at Lord’s, albeit after an early stroke of fortune, and then proved his worth behind the stumps too with an outstanding leg-side catch.
Special mention for @jbairstow21 .... His Keeping this week on a difficult pitch has been magnificent ..... #ENGvsSA #Lords
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) July 9, 2017
Four for 10 … three for two – You will not win many matches with two nifty collapses like the above, both of which featured in England’s hectic morning. They were still able to set South Africa 331, only 10 fewer than the ground-record run chase, though.
Trent Bridge. South Africa have an extra day to ready themselves to try to stay in with a chance of winning the four-match series, but must do so without Kagiso Rabada – banned for the second Test for swearing after dismissing Ben Stokes in the first innings.
