England v South Africa: England romp to 211-run victory

First Test scores (Lord's)

England win by 211 runs

England 1st inns: 458 (105.3 overs. Root 190, Moeen Ali 87, Broad 57*, Stokes 56; Morkel 4-115, Philander 3-67, Rabada 3-123)

South Africa 1st inns: 361 (105 overs. Bavuma 59, Elgar 54, Philander 52, de Kock 51, de Bruyn 48; Moeen 4-59, Anderson 2-44, Broad 2-58, Dawson 2-67)   

England 2nd inns: 233 (87.1 overs. Cook 69, Bairstow 51, Ballance 34, Jennings 33, Wood 28; Maharaj 4-85, Rabada 3-47, Morkel 3-64)

South Africa 2nd inns: 119 (36.3 overs. Bavuma 21, Philander 19*, De Kock 18; Moeen Ali 6-53, Wood 1-3, Anderson 1-14, Dawson 2-34) 

Day four report

Moeen Ali's career-best bowling helped Joe Root start his tenure as Test captain with a resounding 211-run victory inside four days as 19 wickets fell in three remarkable sessions at Lord's.

Jonny Bairstow also bailed out England 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.

CLICK HERE FOR DAY FOUR OVER-BY-OVER RECAP

It was Root himself, however, who laid the foundations for success on captaincy debut with his first-innings 190 - 103 more than any other batsman managed for either side - as England put behind them the four consecutive defeats in India last winter which ended Alastair Cook's record-breaking era in charge.

Bairstow, dropped on just seven by Vernon Philander at long-off, stood firm with a 74-ball 50 while England lost four wickets for 10 runs and then three for two in a total of 233 all out which nonetheless left the tourists with a taxing target of 331.

South Africa opener Heino Kuhn completed his unsuccessful maiden Test with a second single-figure score, caught by Bairstow off James Anderson; then Moeen held a head-high return catch to account for Dean Elgar, and JP Duminy mistimed a pull to give Mark Wood his first Test wicket on his long-awaited return from ankle surgery.

That was from the last delivery before tea, and South Africa's slide continued apace almost immediately afterwards when Dawson turned one up the slope in his first over to pin Hashim Amla lbw.

Moeen had luck on his side when Quinton de Kock contrived to pull a short one straight down on to his front boot and back on to the base of his stumps, but the off-spinner needed no such quirks to hit the top of off in his next over as Temba Bavuma tried to heave him to leg as well.

There was only the tail left from 67 for six, and no stopping Moeen.

Morne Morkel (three for 64) had hinted at a lasting fightback when he started England's collapse by striking twice in successive overs to see off Cook and Gary Ballance - and then Keshav Maharaj (four for 85) got Root cheaply.

But Bairstow (51) made sure England stayed ahead of the game, notably in a ninth-wicket stand of 45 with Wood.

Cook had laboured long and hard for his half-century, and added just 10 to his overnight 59, before South Africa's tall fast bowler ended an obdurate, 192-ball and near four-hour stay.

England's record runscorer poked a drive on the up and was well-caught by a diving Bavuma at cover, and Morkel doubled by finding enough movement off the pitch down the slope from round the wicket to have Ballance edging behind pushing forward.

Root paid for a misjudgment against Maharaj, becoming the left-arm spinner's first victim when he tried to dab runs into the off-side off the back foot but instead edged on to his stumps as the ball carried on with the arm.

Ben Stokes joined the collapse, for just a single, and gave himself out lbw - walking straight off without waiting for umpire Paul Reiffel's raised finger after being hit low in the crease as the pitch began to show increasing signs of variable bounce to go with the sharp turn available to Maharaj.

The by-play which followed, De Kock covering Rabada's mouth and the bowler himself responding with a shushing finger to his own lips, appeared a good-natured reference to his controversial International Cricket Council ban from next week's second Test after swearing when he dismissed Stokes here in the first innings.

It would have been 159 for six had Philander held a regulation catch when Bairstow went after Maharaj.

Bairstow counted a bonus four as the ball fell from Philander's grasp and bounced over the rope, and he added another three boundaries in Maharaj's next over.

The slow left-armer hit back, though, by bowling Moeen through the gate - and Rabada, presumably trying to york Dawson, knocked out middle-stump with a fast, near waist-high full-toss.

Dawson had bagged a pair, and before lunch Stuart Broad followed his first-innings half-century with a golden duck when he was caught at short-leg off Maharaj.

But Wood's 28 runs were very valuable, before he was bowled trying to pull Rabada, and Bairstow was last out stumped missing a sweep at Maharaj - before getting to work with the gloves himself.

Day three report

Alastair Cook established a commanding position for England after they bowled South Africa out for 361 on day three of the first Investec Test at Lord's.

Cook (59no) and Keaton Jennings both had a little good fortune in an opening stand of 80 on the way to 119 for one at stumps, giving England an overall lead of 216 despite the earlier resistance of Quinton de Kock (51) and Vernon Philander (52).

Jennings would have been run out for nought, had Heino Kuhn managed a direct hit at the stumps from cover, and Cook had 31 when De Kock missed a leg-side stumping in part-time off-spinner JP Duminy's first over.

CLICK HERE FOR DAY THREE OVER-BY-OVER RECAP

Nonetheless, in the absence of key seamer Philander, who suffered severe bruising to his bowling hand while batting, the openers' patience - and skill on the sweep against South Africa's spinners - put England on a course to push for victory.

Former captain Cook's painstaking 127-ball half-century was the cornerstone.

De Kock had earlier wasted no time against the second new ball, racing to his 50 with 10 fours from just 36 balls, as he and Philander shared an eighth-wicket stand of 66.

But England stuck to their task to eke out five wickets after the tourists resumed on 214.

England's bowlers were held up first on another sunny morning by Temba Bavuma (59) and nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada, before Liam Dawson and Moeen Ali (four for 59) struck in successive overs.

Dawson succeeded with his second delivery, Rabada playing for turn up the slope but edging behind as the ball went on with the arm.

Moeen then struck at the other end with a very good one which landed right in the danger area to Bavuma, neither back nor forward and caught at slip via the wicketkeeper's thigh when the ball gripped and bounced on him.

Much therefore depended on De Kock - a one-day international opener yet coming in down at number eight here.

The wicketkeeper-batsman duly climbed into three successive fours in Stuart Broad's first over with the new ball, and repeated the feat soon afterwards, too.

Philander was still on nought after 12 deliveries when James Anderson hit him on the right hand as he took it off the handle to a brute of a ball.

He needed extensive treatment, ice and a painkiller but was sufficiently revived to get off the mark with a leg-glance for four next ball and he soon carved a second boundary past point off Broad, too.

After a spell of 4-0-35-0, Joe Root replaced Broad with Moeen again, but De Kock was immediately up the pitch to hit the off-spinner for two more leg-side boundaries to bring up his 50.

The left-hander was scenting more quick runs but fell to a very good diving catch by Stokes at cover as he drove Anderson on the up.

Dawson appeared a curious choice in search of two remaining wickets after lunch, and his review for lbw against Keshav Maharaj from way up the pitch was far from obvious.

Jonny Bairstow's insistence from behind the stumps proved spot on, though, as the ball struck pad before bat and was proven to be bang on target.

Number 11 Morne Morkel provided more resistance, as Philander completed his 80-ball half-century in a last-wicket stand of 24 which ended when the senior partner got a little greedy against the returning Moeen and was bowled aiming to hit him into the pavilion.

England had earned a first-innings lead of 97 but still needed to bat well second time round, on a pitch likely to favour spin for the remainder of the match.

Maharaj was the most obvious threat, in a marathon 17-over spell from the nursery end.

But with the ball turning exclusively into the two left-handers, their prod-and-sweep methods were productive if rarely pretty until Jennings succumbed to Morkel when he got an inside-edge behind off the back foot.

Joined by Gary Ballance, Cook slowed to a near halt - taking 13 overs to move from 40 to 42 and facing 23 balls in 38 minutes without scoring.

There were also 69 minutes between his seventh and eighth boundaries, before a poke for three past cover then brought him his 50 off Rabada.

As ever with Cook, though, it was substance rather than style that counted - and in his first match since relinquishing the captaincy, England had good reason to be thankful for his efforts once again.

Day two report 

Moeen Ali joined exalted company against South Africa at Lord's as he completed an all-round double of 100 Test wickets and 2,000 runs.

It was Joe Root who began day two of this Investec series with the most evident chance of a piece of history as he sought to become the first batsman to make two double-centuries at the home of cricket.

Instead, though, England's new captain fell 10 runs short – having resumed on 184 – and Moeen, who topped the 2,000 on his way to 87 out of 458 all out in the morning session, took his 99th wicket before tea and then his 100th straight afterwards.

That made him only the seventh player from his country and second-quickest behind Tony Greig to reach the elite benchmark. For good measure, he became the only man to round up the statistics in each column on the same day.

CLICK HERE FOR DAY THREE OVER-BY-OVER RECAP

Moeen and Stuart Broad – who already had the same double in safe keeping – were both in the runs and wickets to help England retain the upper hand.

After Broad (57no) and Moeen bolstered England's total despite a fightback from Morne Morkel (four for 115) and Kagiso Rabada (three for 123), the off-spinner posted his century of wickets by first of all turning one sharply to trap Hashim Amla lbw and then having Dean Elgar (54) caught at short-leg.

Theunis de Bruyn, who fell just two short of a maiden Test 50 in his second match, and Temba Bavuma responded admirably with a stand of 99 in South Africa's 214 for five at stumps.

Root could add only six more to his overnight score before Morkel had him caught behind pushing forward.

The tall fast bowler then doubled up with the wicket of Liam Dawson, lbw for a second-ball duck in his second Test, before Moeen and Broad took over.

Broad's crowd-pleasing turn was a 45-ball 50 which he completed with successive pulled sixes off Morkel to add to his seven fours as he and James Anderson compounded South Africa's frustrations in an entertaining 10th-wicket stand of 45 from just 27 deliveries.

Morkel had ended Root's six-and-a-quarter-hour stay – after he hit 27 fours and a six from 234 balls – in the third over of another glorious day, and then struck again almost immediately when Dawson's recourse to DRS narrowly failed to overturn umpire Sundaram Ravi's decision.

Root's stand with Moeen was worth 177 – putting England in an advantageous position, considering they were 17 for two when their new captain first took guard.

South Africa missed another trick when Vernon Philander's wish to review an lbw appeal against Broad fell on deaf ears yet would have been successful, with England's number nine on just four out of 372 for seven.

CLICK HERE FOR DAY TWO OVER-BY-OVER RECAP

Little went right for the tourists, in fact, until Rabada bowled Moeen through the gate driving and then won the fifth lbw verdict of the innings with one that kept low to pin Mark Wood on the back foot two balls later.

Broad's fun was only just beginning, though, and Anderson joined in with a pull for six of his own off Rabada before the number 11 was last out edging an attempted drive behind off Morkel.

Elgar and Heino Kuhn negotiated four overs before lunch in which the former had one scare, when a direct hit from Dawson at mid-on would have run him out for only two.

Instead, it was Kuhn who went for just a single on his belated Test debut when he edged Broad low to first slip.

Elgar was unperturbed, refused to let Dawson settle when Root first turned to spin, and reached his half-century from 90 balls by angling Ben Stokes down to third man for his eighth four.

But Moeen did for Amla and Elgar, and then Broad made it two wickets each when he had JP Duminy lbw to one that moved back up the slope.

Mark Wood was millimetres from a first Test wicket on his return after his ankle injuries, De Bruyn surviving on 31 via the most tenuous of umpire's calls at the start of a new spell.

Otherwise, though, the fifth-wicket pair were largely untroubled as South Africa dug in to stay competitive – until Anderson was rewarded late in the day when he got one in the perfect spot and De Bruyn was caught behind off a thin edge.

Day one report

Joe Root made the most of his good fortune and substantial skill too as he marked his first day as Test captain with a century England badly needed against South Africa at Lord's.

Root (184no) might easily have fallen to Kagiso Rabada on five or 16 on his way to and well beyond a 150-ball century which contained 15 fours and aided his team's recovery after Vernon Philander had taken three early wickets.

South Africa had England 17 for two, and then 76 for four. But the tourists simply did not help themselves, and Root very much did in century stands for the fifth and sixth wickets with Ben Stokes (56) and Moeen Ali (61no) in a stumps total of 357 for five in this first Investec Test.

CLICK HERE FOR DAY ONE OVER-BY-OVER RECAP

Root, who won the toss on a glorious day, responded to early travails to complete his 12th century in his 54th Test.

He found himself in the middle much sooner than he doubtless hoped as Philander nipped out both openers cheaply, but went on to become the sixth England captain in Test history to make a hundred in his first innings in charge

Philander struck in his second and third overs as Root's captaincy predecessor Alastair Cook and then Keaton Jennings succumbed, as did Jonny Bairstow after Gary Ballance fell to Morne Morkel.

On a pitch tinged with green and providing good carry, Cook went caught-behind when Philander got one to run down the slope for an outside edge as England's all-time record runscorer pushed out slightly away from his body on the back foot.

The circumstances of England's second early departure were regrettable.

Umpire Sundaram Ravi took his time before giving Jennings out lbw pushing forward.

The opener consulted Ballance at the non-striker's end, but neither opted for a review which would have reprieved Jennings both on the basis that the ball pitched outside leg-stump and was not going on to hit it either.

Root's first slice of luck against South Africa's first-change fast bowler came when he failed to control a hook only to see the ball sail just over substitute fielder Aiden Markram at long-leg yet still bounce inside the rope.

Morkel kept testing Ballance with a full length and got one in the right place from round the wicket to win another lbw verdict from umpire Ravi, England compounding their earlier blunder on DRS by this time opting for a review which merely confirmed the ball would have thudded into leg-stump.

Root therefore had a second Yorkshire ally for company, and soon his second escape off Rabada too - spearing a drive on the up straight through JP Duminy's hands above his head at gully.

But 10 minutes before lunch, Philander struck in his second spell when he pinned Bairstow lbw on the back foot.

England reached much calmer waters in a wicketless afternoon, during which Stokes had a let-off too.

He was beaten for pace on 44 when Morkel jagged one into him to lift the leg-bail via an inside-edge but survived because of a big overstep for no-ball - and South Africa were punished doubly when the ball sped away for four streaky byes.

Confusion on the scoreboard saw Stokes credited initially with the runs and consequently going on to celebrate his half-century early. He then spent a further six balls on 49 before reaching his 50 again from 95, having hit seven fours and a straight six off Keshav Maharaj.

Stokes did not last long into the third session, caught-behind trying to pull Rabada - and Moeen was therefore in situ for the moment Root reached three figures with a neat sweep for three off Maharaj.

His celebrations before a standing ovation around the ground included a wave to the pavilion - housing dad Matt among four generations of the Root family - and soon enough there was a saunter up the pitch at the start of Maharaj's next over to mark the achievement in style with a first six of his innings over long-off.

Moeen proved an able associate to exploit a tiring attack as conditions began to favour batting significantly, and he took advantage with a fluent 81-ball 50.

Still South Africa had another opportunity for a share of the overall spoils only for Root's apparent loss of concentration on 149 against Maharaj, up the pitch to one that turned sharply and stumped by yards, to be ruled irrelevant when a check on the front foot showed a second costly overstep.

Day four reaction

Joe Root on a superb England victory: "It is a great start.

"Everything I asked the lads this week they did. They responded to all the challenges.

"Throughout the whole game everyone contributed at some point along the way. I think that is a really pleasing sign that the whole team has played a big part in this win.

"It is great to go to Trent Bridge 1-0 up."

On his own contribution, having made 190 in the first innings: "It is obviously nice. Monkey off the back to get one early. We had some vital partnerships and the lads responded to what was asked of them.

Man of the match Moeen Ali: "It was a great game for myself, and the team. We won the game and I am very happy."

Day three reaction

James Anderson on Kagiso Rabada ban from next week's Trent Bridge Test: "Obviously, it's good for us - because he's an outstanding bowler.

"It's a tough one, because for me I like to see bowlers playing with aggression - which he obviously does.

"But the scrutiny we're under now, with stump mics, 'spidercam' out there, you can't really get away with anything.

"As much as we like to see players with passion, there's obviously a line that the ICC have drawn - and you've got to stay the right side of it."

Anderson on stump microphones: "I think it does enhance the game.

"When I watch games, I like having stump mic there. I think it's just the players' duty to be aware it is there and it's obviously turned up quite loud sometimes."

He has had to learn the hard way himself at times that he must ditch some of the aggression.

"It is something that's helped me in the past, being quite aggressive with the opposition, trying to get in people's faces sometimes, trying to unsettle them.

"But now it's something that is difficult to do, with the amount of scrutiny we're under.

"So I try to avoid it."

Rabada's team-mate Temba Bavuma on his reaction to the ban: "KG is an emotional character - he didn't purposely act like that, but he was fully aware of the consequences.

"He has been dealt with accordingly.

"He is quite heartbroken, because he feels he has let down the team. But we fully understand it happened in the heat of the moment."

Anderson on the current match situation: "It's a very strong position, and we're very happy with it," said Anderson, who gave a special mention to Cook after the former captain's first significant innings at the second attempt after returning to the ranks under his successor Joe Root.

"South Africa bowled really well tonight, and we did well to be just one down.

"There weren't many freebies for the guys to hit - they had to really knuckle down and concentrate, and it was spinning out of the rough for the left-handers as well."

Anderson on Alastair Cook  building the foundation in the second innings: "You wouldn't want anyone else for that position when you need to graft through an evening session.

"He does seem more relaxed around the dressing room.

"It's probably a bit of a strange week for him, because there's a new captain here, and I'm sure he's going to be missing the captaincy to an extent.

"But at the same time it's a great opportunity for him to show people he is still happy to score runs and we're just happy he is out there churning them out for us."

Day two reaction

Moeen Ali on reaching 2,000 runs and 100 Test wickets: "I feel very grateful and pleased to have those stats. 

"When I started, if someone would have told me I was going to have these stats, I would have bitten their hands off. It's a great feeling to do it on the same day at Lord's."

Moeen on his form over the last 12 months: "There has been lots of ups and downs and with the ball it feels like I have been learning on the job. 

"I am going to have bad days I know that, I am still inconsistent but today I was really happy with the way I bowled.

"I was trying to give it really good revs and look to take wickets, something that I used to do when I first started. I have tried to bowl a little bit safe in the last year or so but today was the first day where I had that attacking mindset."

Moeen on his form with the bat: "I just go out and play my natural game and I don't think about the scoreboard too much I just react to the ball.

"I prep hard and I don't really think about it too much. I was a little bit disappointed but I would have taken 87 at the start."

Moeen on instructions from the captain: "I think Rooty wants me to attack a bit more.

"He wants me to take wickets and not worry too much about runs.

"That's exactly how I used to think when I first came in the side. I used to try and take wickets and not bowl safe."

Moeen on getting Amla's wicket: "That was the one - even though he's a good friend - and I'll give him some stick for it.

"I've never got him in a Test before."

Moeen on his approach to the game: "I just play my natural way. 

"Coming into this game, I didn't feel pressure at all. I'd scored a hundred in my last game. I enjoy batting at Lord's.

"It's just a game of cricket. It's not real pressure - I try to enjoy it as much as I can.

 "I don't get too over-excited. If I get too excited I'll start bowling pies again.

"We saw in the first innings there was some spin out of nowhere at times. There's spin out there, and that's good for me."

Day one reaction

Joe Root on his century: "I rode my luck at the start, it just seemed to be one of those days where everything went right and I capitalised.

"It is very special, you want to start well as captain and you want to set the example.

"You have been harping on at the lads about how you want them to approach the cricket and you want to make sure you go out and do exactly what you've preached about for the last couple of days.

"It is a nice start, that's all it is, there's no point thinking this is it. I have to kick on and carry on and make sure we have a strong start to the series and the summer but I am obviously very delighted with how it's gone."

On his stumping reprieve: "You go from a terrible feeling of disgust with yourself to feeling like you have been blessed.

"It is a bizarre feeling. I rode my luck today, sometimes you just have to take it with a pinch of salt."

Morne Morkel on a disappointing day for South Africa: "After lunch was disappointing. The way we came out is something we are not very proud of as a bowling unit.

"There were too many no-balls, too many loose balls. We pride ourselves on creating pressure and we didn't do that.

"We wanted to try too hard and as soon as the ball got a little bit softer we did push too hard.

"The no-balls are non-negotiable, it is something we need to take on the chin and it has cost us in this innings.

"I can't put my finger on it, we work hard in the nets, it was just one of those days."