It was the 100th Test at The Oval and England’s bearded spinner, Moeen Ali, made it even more historic by taking the venue’s first hat-trick.
Ali’s was the 43rd hat-trick in Test history, the 14th for England, and the first by an English spinner for 79 years.
His final wicket saw England earn 239-run victory to lead the series 2-1 with one more Test to go.
A fighting 136 by opening batsman Dean Elgar had South Africa 7-252. But Ali dismissed Elgar and new batsman Kagiso Rabada off his fifth and sixth delivery in his 16th over.
After a maiden over from man of the match Ben Stokes from the other end, Moeen trapped Morne Morkel LBW with the first ball of his 17th over. After field umpire declared Morkel not out, England reviewed and the TV umpire said “out”.
[latest_videos_strip category=”cricket” name=”Cricket”]
The first ever Test hat-trick was taken 138 years ago by Australia’s Fred ‘Demon’ Spofforth, against England at the MCG, on January 2, 1879.
Moeen’s hat-trick was not performed in one over, but it was not as far apart as those by West Indies quickie Courtney Walsh and Australia’s moustached folk hero Merv Hughes.
In November-December 1988, they performed prolonged and agonising hat-tricks in successive Tests, in Brisbane and Perth, in the Frank Worrell Trophy.
Walsh’s was quirky, as neither his teammates nor opponents realised he had taken a hat-trick in the 1988 Brisbane Test until a few minutes later!
The Windie’s first wicket was Australia’s Tony Dodemaide being caught by Vivian Richards for 22. It was Richards’ 100th catch in his 100th Test and Australia was all out for 167 on November 18, 1988.
The tourists replied with 394, a handy lead of 227 runs. At 2-65 in Australia’s second innings on November 20, Walsh came on to bowl and Mike Veletta pulled his first ball to mid-on to be caught by Carl Hooper for 10.
Walsh’s second ball found Graeme Wood – Veletta’s brother-in-law – LBW for a duck.
Next man in was skipper Allan Border, determined not to get out first ball to avoid a hat-trick. Belatedly it dawned on the players – aided by a public announcement – that Walsh had already achieved the feat; his three victims in three balls being Dodemaide (two days earlier), Veletta and Wood!
Hughes ended the Windies first innings by having Curtly Ambrose caught by Ian Healy with the last ball of his 36th over and Patrick Patterson caught by Dodemaide with the first ball of his next over, which ended the visitors’ innings at 449 on December 3.
Border declared Australia’s innings closed at 8-395 after Geoff Lawson, wearing a visorless helmet, lost sight of a lifting ball from Ambrose, which shattered his jaw, infuriating Hughes.
His first ball of the innings trapped the Windies’ opening batsman, Gordon Greenidge, LBW, which gave the moustachioed Merv a unique hat-trick spanning two days, two innings and three overs.
Despite taking 5-130 and 8-87 he was a sad man as Australia lost the Test by 169 runs. All the same, Hughes was proud that his hat-trick was the first one in a Perth Test, although he did not celebrate the feat that night, saying, “That will look good on my record but there are more important things to worry about. There is a teammate in hospital.”
Nick
Guest
He becomes the first player in test history to take 25 wickets and score more than 250 runs in a four test series. This double has only been achieved on eight previous occasions and always in five or six test series.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Moeen Ali has now shown that he is a genuine all-rounder. In the just concluded Manchester Test he was named Man of the Match and Man of the Series with fast scoring and taking a fifer, finishing the Test with successive wickets.
Nick
Guest
Have Oz produced a genuine test allrounder in the 50+ years since Benaud and Davidson?
Nick
Guest
For someone as inadequate as you apparently believe Ali to be it is hard to believe that he achieved 2000 runs and 100 wickets in fewer tests than Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Gary Sobers among others.
Bakkies
Guest
That's the worst bit of fishing since Stephen Jones last article before The Times put up a pay wall
Bakkies
Guest
Ali has been shuffled around the batting lineup and often gets out playing rash shots. The all rounders won't work in Australia in the bowling as Anderson and Woakes won't get the swing and not enough penetration. Wood breaks down and has to reduce his pace, so there is too much for Broad to do. Stokes doesn't provide enough support and has been leaking runs
Bakkies
Guest
Johnson was twice on a hat trick in the same innings against England in Adelaide
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Colin N, Damien Fleming's hat-trick (Aus v. Pak., Rawalpindi, October 1994) included top order batsmen; Aamer Malik for 65, Inzamam-ul-Haq for 0 and Salim Malik for 237. The most run-rich hat-trick ever!
W G Grace
Guest
The Convict Colony will need to play 15 or 18 or 22 players each test to make a game of it - such will be England's Dominance - I predict a 4 or 5 Nil series win to England. Not much batting other than the average Smith and Warner- pedestrian seamers and no real spinners and a wicky who cannot keep or bat for instance. Long summer ahead for the Convict Colony supporters.
W G Grace
Guest
Even with this agreement the Convict Colony players will still be upset and distracted- England need to get to the Convict Colony earlier to settle in. Smith and Warner are average and there is not much in the batting department other than them in any case - The Convict Colony bowlers are very average too as well with no real spinners either. England should win 4 nil. May have to go back to the old days when we played against 22 or 18 or 15 Convict Colony players to make a game of it - such will be England's Dominance over the Convict Colony
Colin N
Guest
"Both Morkel and Rabada on a turning wicket with the game all but lost anyway will not go down as one of the great achievements in cricket." Well, if you're going to win a Test match with a hat-trick, it is extremely unlikely they're all going to be top order batsmen.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Good observation, DavSA. A few days will tell us whether it is a sound prediction.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Wow, JohnB, you Aussies (I presume) must have a great side if you think Stokes, Woakes, Ali and Bairstow are just bits and pieces cricketers. I'm now dreading England having to go up against these lantern-jawed giants of the game.
DavSA
Guest
Good effort by Moeen Ali but you have to see what his prizes were . Both Morkel and Rabada on a turning wicket with the game all but lost anyway will not go down as one of the great achievements in cricket . all tests so far in this series have something in common .. 1. The side that one the toss elected to bat . 2. The side that won the toss and elected to bat won the game. 3. Spinners played a big role in the final innings from each team. 3. All games were won by substantial margins. Food for thought . Lets see if the 4th test repeats this pattern.
Mike Dugg
Guest
Once again I say Australia if they underestimate Moeen it'll be at their own peril. I predict Stokes and Ali to be real dangers to the Aussie team
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Thanks Kersi. If he gets lucky we won't let the rules get in the way of a big celebration....
George
Guest
Woakes is first change, frontline seamer. He'll be Anderson's successor.
Ed Nixon
Roar Pro
Love what Moeen has been doing in the 4th innings of test matches. 4,6,4 wickets in the 4th innings of this series and is bowling great areas.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
All the best to your mate on his hat-trick in October 2017, Pope Paul VII ! On a serious note, a hat-trick has to be finished in one match.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
More on Moeen's hat-trick. He is only the fourth cricketer to complete a Test win with a hat-trick.