South Africa vs England Tests 2017: England Win 3-1 — Moeen Ali 25 Wickets + Hat-Trick at The Oval, Root 190 on Debut as Captain, Roland-Jones 5/57 on Debut
England won the four-match Basil D'Oliveira Trophy series against South Africa in 2017 by 3-1. It was Joe Root's first series as England captain — he scored 190 at Lord's (highest by any England captain in their first Test as captain). Moeen Ali was the defining performer: 25 wickets (including a hat-trick at The Oval — first Test hat-trick at that ground) and 250+ runs — an unprecedented double in any four-Test series. England won the 1st Test at Lord's by 211 runs (Moeen 10 wickets; Root 190). SA won the 2nd Test at Trent Bridge by 340 runs (Anderson 5/72). England won the 3rd Test at The Oval by 239 runs (Stokes 112; Roland-Jones 5/57 on debut; Moeen hat-trick; Elgar 136). England won the 4th Test at Old Trafford by 177 runs (Moeen 5/68). James Anderson reached 300 home Test wickets. Joe Root captained England; Faf du Plessis captained South Africa (Dean Elgar deputised for 1st Test).
England won the four-match Basil D'Oliveira Trophy series against South Africa in 2017 by 3-1. 1st Test Lord's (Jul 6-10): England won by 211 runs — ENG 458 & 233; SA 361 & 119. Joe Root scored 190 in his first innings as England Test captain; Moeen Ali took 4/59 and 6/53 — a 10-wicket match haul. 2nd Test Trent Bridge (Jul 14-18): South Africa won by 340 runs — SA 335 & 343/9d; ENG 205 & 133. James Anderson took 5/72; Vernon Philander was Player of the Match. James Anderson reached 300 home Test wickets during this Test — first fast bowler to do so in England. 3rd Test The Oval (Jul 27-31): England won by 239 runs — ENG 353 & 313/8d; SA 175 & 252. Ben Stokes scored 112; Toby Roland-Jones took 5/57 on his Test debut. Moeen Ali took a hat-trick in SA's 2nd innings (Elgar caught, Rabada caught, Morkel lbw) — the first Test hat-trick at The Oval, the first by an England spinner in 79 years. Dean Elgar scored 136 in SA's 2nd innings. The Oval Test was the 100th Test at that ground. Dawid Malan, Roland-Jones, and Tom Westley all made their Test debuts in this match. 4th Test Old Trafford (Aug 4-8): England won by 177 runs — ENG 362 & 243; SA 226 & 202. Moeen Ali took 5/68; Jonny Bairstow was dismissed for 99. Player of the Series: Moeen Ali — 25 wickets and 250+ runs (the first player ever to achieve 250 runs and 25 wickets in a four-Test series). Joe Root (461 series runs) led England's batting; Hashim Amla (330 runs) led SA's. Morné Morkel took 19 wickets for SA. Joe Root captained England; Dean Elgar deputised for SA in the 1st Test, Faf du Plessis captained Tests 2-4.
Joe Root's 190 at Lord's: The Highest Score by an England Captain on Debut
Joe Root's 190 in the 1st Test at Lord's — his first innings as England Test captain, succeeding Alastair Cook — was the highest score by any England batsman in their first Test as captain. Root occupied the crease for long periods, guiding England to 458 in the 1st innings before Moeen Ali's 10-wicket match haul (4/59 + 6/53) demolished South Africa for 361 and then 119, giving England a 211-run win. The Lord's Test set the tone for the series: England's batting depth under Root's captaincy and Moeen Ali's all-round match-winning capability would define the 3-1 result.
Moeen Ali's Historic Series: Hat-Trick, 25 Wickets, 250+ Runs
Moeen Ali's 2017 series against South Africa was the finest all-round series performance by an England spinner in the modern era. His hat-trick in the 3rd Test at The Oval — dismissing Dean Elgar and Kagiso Rabada with the last two balls of one over, then trapping Morné Morkel lbw with the first ball of his next — was the first Test hat-trick at The Oval and the first by an England spinner in 79 years. In the 4th Test at Old Trafford he took 5/68 to secure England's 177-run series-clinching win. His series total of 25 wickets combined with 250+ runs gave him a unique distinction: no player had ever achieved both figures in any four-Test series in Test history. His 10-wicket match haul in the 1st Test at Lord's (including 6/53 in SA's 2nd innings) also made him the first England player since Ian Botham to score a half-century and take 10 wickets in the same Test.
SA's Resistance: Amla's 330 Runs and Elgar's 136 at The Oval
South Africa's brightest individual contributions came from Hashim Amla (330 series runs) and Dean Elgar. Elgar's unbeaten 136 in The Oval 2nd innings — scored in a losing cause as England won by 239 runs — was the batting highlight for South Africa in a difficult series. SA's only victory at Trent Bridge (340 runs) was comprehensive: their 343/9 declared gave England a target of 474 that proved far beyond their reach. Vernon Philander was Player of the Match at Trent Bridge, and Morné Morkel's 19 series wickets gave South Africa their best bowling tally — though no individual bowler on either side matched Moeen Ali's 25-wicket haul. England's 3-1 win was their first home series victory against South Africa since 1998.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the England vs South Africa Test series in 2017?
England won 3-1. England won the 1st Test (Lord's, 211 runs), 3rd Test (The Oval, 239 runs), and 4th Test (Old Trafford, 177 runs). South Africa won the 2nd Test at Trent Bridge by 340 runs. Moeen Ali won Player of the Series with 25 wickets and 250+ runs.
What was Moeen Ali's hat-trick in the 2017 series against South Africa?
Moeen Ali's hat-trick came in South Africa's 2nd innings of the 3rd Test at The Oval. He dismissed Dean Elgar and Kagiso Rabada with the last two balls of one over, then trapped Morné Morkel lbw with the first ball of his next — all caught or lbw. It was the first Test hat-trick at The Oval and the first by an England spinner in 79 years.