South Africa vs England Tests 2017: England Win 3-1 — Moeen Ali Hat-Trick and 10 Wickets at Lord's, Stokes 112 at The Oval, Rabada ICC Ban, Roland-Jones and Westley Debut

England won the four-match Test series against South Africa in July-August 2017 by 3-1, retaining the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy. Moeen Ali was Player of the Series. 1st Test Lord's (Jul 6-9): England won by 211 runs — ENG 458 & 233; SA 361 & 119. Moeen Ali took 4/59 in SA's 1st innings and 6/53 in their 2nd — a maiden 10-wicket match haul. Player of the Match: Moeen. Joe Root scored 79* in England's 1st innings in his Test captaincy debut. Kagiso Rabada directed language/gestures at Ben Stokes on Stokes's dismissal — receiving his 4th ICC demerit point, triggering an automatic one-Test ban. 2nd Test Trent Bridge (Jul 14-17): SA won by 340 runs — SA 335 (Amla 78, de Kock 68, Philander 54; Anderson 5/72) & 343/9d (Amla 87, Elgar 80, du Plessis 63); ENG 205 (Root 78) & 133 (Philander 3/24). Player of the Match: Philander. Rabada absent (serving ban). 3rd Test The Oval (Jul 27-31 — the ground's 100th Test): England won by 239 runs — ENG 353 & 313/8d; SA 175 & 252. Ben Stokes scored 112 (Player of the Match) and took 2/51. Tom Westley debuted (25 & 59); Toby Roland-Jones debuted (5/57 in SA's 1st innings — first England bowler to take a five-for on Test debut since Adil Rashid in 2015). Moeen Ali took a hat-trick in SA's 2nd innings — dismissing Dean Elgar and Kagiso Rabada on consecutive balls, then Morne Morkel first ball of his next over; the first Test hat-trick at The Oval and the first by an England spinner since 1938. 4th Test Old Trafford (Aug 4-7): England won by 177 runs — ENG 362 & 243; SA 220 & 202. Moeen took 5/69. Morne Morkel led SA's bowling with 19 series wickets. Root scored 461 series runs — England's most. Faf du Plessis captained SA (Dean Elgar deputized in the 1st Test at Lord's); Joe Root captained England.

Moeen's Lord's 10-Wicket Haul: 4/59 + 6/53 in Captaincy Debut Match

Moeen Ali's maiden 10-wicket match haul at Lord's — 4/59 in SA's 1st innings of 361 and 6/53 in their 2nd innings of 119 — was the first time he had taken 10 wickets in a Test, and it came in the match that launched Joe Root's England captaincy. England's 211-run win was built on a 458 1st-innings total (Root's 79* was the anchor in the first innings) and Moeen's off-spin bowling that exploited a Lord's surface offering turn. His 6/53 in SA's 2nd innings was the decisive spell — South Africa set 333 to win were bowled out for 119 as wickets fell cheaply after Elgar and du Plessis resisted early. The 10-wicket match was the first in Moeen's Test career; it confirmed that, on the right surface against the right attack, he had the bowling quality to be England's match-winning spinner.

Moeen's Hat-Trick at The Oval: First England Spinner's Hat-Trick Since 1938

Moeen Ali's hat-trick in South Africa's 2nd innings at The Oval — dismissing Dean Elgar and Kagiso Rabada on consecutive balls in one over, then taking Morne Morkel with the first ball of his next over — was the first Test hat-trick at The Oval and the first by an England spinner since Hedley Verity in 1938. The Oval's 100th Test match produced one of the most celebrated individual bowling moments in the ground's history. Ben Stokes' 112 in England's 1st innings had already sealed England's match-winning advantage before Moeen's hat-trick; Toby Roland-Jones' 5/57 on Test debut had reduced SA to 175 in their 1st innings. The 3rd Test was the series' defining match — three individual performances (Stokes 112, Roland-Jones debut 5-for, Moeen hat-trick) in the same match at the ground's centenary Test.

Trent Bridge: Anderson 5/72 in a Losing Cause

South Africa's 340-run win at Trent Bridge — their only win of the series — was built on batting depth (Amla 78 + 87, Elgar 80, du Plessis 63, de Kock 68, Philander 54) across two substantial innings and Philander's 3/24 in England's 2nd innings of 133. James Anderson's 5/72 in SA's 1st innings of 335 — with Rabada absent serving his ban — showed England's bowling quality but could not prevent SA from posting a large enough first-innings total. England, set 474 to win, collapsed for 133. Vernon Philander's accuracy in the 2nd innings earned him Player of the Match. The Trent Bridge loss was the only interruption to England's otherwise dominant series — they won all other three Tests, including by 177 runs at Old Trafford where Moeen's 5/69 wrapped up a retained Basil D'Oliveira Trophy.