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England v South Africa 3rd Test day five: Moeen Ali hat-trick seals huge England win
Third Test scores (Kennington Oval)
England win by 239 runs
England 1st inns: 353 (103.2 overs. Stokes 112, Cook 88, Bairstow 36, Root 29; Morkel 3-70, Rabada 3-95, Philander 2-32)
South Africa 1st inns: 175 (58.4 overs. Bavuma 52, Rabada 30; Roland-Jones 5-57, Anderson 3-25)
England 2nd inns: 313-8d (79.5 overs. Bairstow 63, Westley 59, Root 50, Jennings 48, Stokes 31; Maharaj 3-50, Morris 2-66, Morkel 1-44, Rabada 1-56)
South Africa 2nd inns: 252 (77.1 overs. Elgar 136, Bavuma 32, Maharaj 24*, Morris 24; Moeen Ali 4-45, Roland-Jones 3-72, Stokes 2-51, Broad 1-47)
Day five report
Moeen Ali finished the 100th Oval Test with a hat-trick as England surged to a 239-run victory over South Africa for a 2-1 series lead.
Moeen, the third England bowler to take two wickets in two balls in consecutive sessions of this match, succeeded where Ben Stokes and Toby Roland-Jones had failed by counting Morne Morkel as his hat-trick victim.
The off-spinner therefore became the 13th England bowler to take a hat-trick, and the first from any country in this famous venue's 137-year history.
Moeen's is the third match-winning hat-trick in Test history, and the first to include three left-handers.
England are evens to seal series victory in style with a win in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, starting on Friday, while South Africa are 9/4 to bounce back again to earn a 2-2 draw.
Here, the Proteas were all out for 252 early on the fifth afternoon, despite an admirable century from stoic opener Dean Elgar (136) in notional pursuit of a world-record 492, as Moeen finished with four for 45 after having Morkel lbw on DRS to complete England's victory.
The tourists must therefore head north to Old Trafford on Friday, knowing the best they can achieve is to salvage a drawn series after Joe Root's hosts recovered impressively here from their chastening defeat at Trent Bridge.
Roland-Jones (three for 72), like Stokes on Sunday, could not manage the Oval's first Test hat-trick, having seen off Temba Bavuma and Vernon Philander after replacing Stokes at the pavilion end on the final morning.
But he disturbed the defiance of Elgar and Bavuma's fifth-wicket stand of 108 on his way to an eight-wicket match haul - and came mighty close to three in three as well when Chris Morris edged his hat-trick ball just short of second slip.
Elgar responded to the double-breakthrough by duly completing his well-deserved century, South Africa's first of the summer, when he advanced to Moeen and hit him over mid-off for his 16th four from 149 balls.
The left-hander, dropped on nine in the slips the previous evening, had another minor escape on 73 when Stuart Broad and Jonny Bairstow could not decide whether to go to DRS for a suspicion of an edge down the leg-side.
Technology demonstrated an UltraEdge spike feasibly in sync with contact but arguably insufficient for a third-umpire overturn had England queried Joel Wilson's initial verdict.
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Stokes chose to go short at Elgar from round the wicket, even after he had twice pulled him emphatically for four in the same over.
The gritty opener, already sporting a badly-bruised left index finger for his troubles, absorbed a further blow to the gloves, a couple of verbal volleys and a stern stare from Stokes.
He seemed to be thriving on what came his way, in fact.
Bavuma was doing his bit too - but he was the victim of a successful and very wise review by England.
Root's men came in for some flak after last week's landslide defeat at Trent Bridge for some muddled thinking on DRS. But there was repeat here, Roland-Jones hitting Bavuma's front pad just before bat, in line with off-stump and going on to hit middle - the combination needed to reverse Aleem Dar's not-out decision.
Roland-Jones was immediately on target again, Philander shouldering arms as his captain Faf du Plessis had to Stokes the previous evening and paying the same price as he went lbw for a golden duck.
Elgar and Morris then appeared set to close out the session until the latter edged the last ball before lunch to slip off Moeen.
Roland-Jones had lost his touch slightly in an expensive four-over spell after lunch, in which fortune was not on his side either - and it therefore fell to Moeen again to administer the most telling blow, when he tossed one up to tempt Elgar into a rare mistake which resulted in an edged drive to slip to end his long vigil.
Next ball, bizarrely, for the third time in the innings a wicket fell in immediate succession - Stokes safe for the third time at slip to see off Kagiso Rabada - and then Moeen took his series tally to 18 wickets in the series with a delivery which slid on to Morkel's pad and would have hit leg and middle-stump.
Day five reaction
Moeen Ali on his hat-trick: "I've never taken a hat-trick in any sort of cricket.
"I've scored a few hat-tricks in football warm-ups, but this is a different sort of feeling ... a better feeling."
Joe Root on Moeen's achievement: "He's been talking us through (the hat-trick) for the last half-hour.
"It was a special way to finish, and quite a fitting one in the 100th Test here, and summed up a really good week for us."
Root on his side's efforts having lost at Trent Bridge: "It was obviously a difficult week up in Nottingham, but the way the guys responded and character they showed to come back was outstanding.
"We've not done things by halves so far in this series.
"I think it's just important that we take (with us) the way we've played this week and the tempo - especially the way we batted, which I thought was exceptional."
Dean Elgar on his battle with Ben Stokes: "It's part of the game - you have to roll with the punches and take the blows when they come your way.
"I prefer not getting hit. (But) it puts me in a different mindset - like the challenge is a little bit more.
"I guess only an opening batsman could see it that way."
Day four report
England are overwhelming 1/16 favourites to win the third Test after Ben Stokes took two wickets in two balls to reduce South Africa to 117-4 at The Oval.
The hosts set their visitors a notional, world-record 492 to win in four sessions after half-centuries from Tom Westley, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow in their 313 for eight declared.
First-innings centurion Stokes then restated his huge value with the ball too as South Africa faltered to 52 for four before Dean Elgar (72 not out) and Temba Bavuma demonstrated the hint of a lasting rearguard in an unbroken stand of 65.
It is nonetheless a long shot that South Africa could somehow prevent a home victory here, with only the fourth Test to come at Old Trafford, and the draw is now out to 9/1 with a fine forecast for the final day.
Debutant Westley's was the most notable of England's fifties.
They had to dig in as South Africa bowled tightly, and partial cloud cover meant batting remained an awkward occupation as it has been throughout this match.
But Westley (59), Root (50) and Bairstow (63) were able to help present the home attack with a minimum 138 scheduled overs in which to force the endgame.
After 18 of them, they appeared to be on the fast track.
Opener Heino Kuhn is still searching for a first significant score after his three Tests, this time bowled off-stump when Stuart Broad got one to nip back and defeat his defence.
England struck another big blow when Toby Roland-Jones continued his fine debut by seeing off Hashim Amla for the second time in the match, for just five to add to his first-innings six - an aggregate of exactly 300 fewer than he made on his last record-breaking Test visit to this ground five years ago.
Amla fell this time to a neat catch at second slip by Root, having tried to take the bat away.
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Quinton de Kock could not interrupt the unstoppable force, bowled off his pads by a yorker from Stokes - who immediately followed up when Faf du Plessis was lbw for a golden duck, playing no shot as in the first innings.
Three wickets had gone for five runs in eight balls, and England had a further 23 overs - 31 with the extra half-hour - to complete a four-day win.
Only opener Elgar, dropped by Keaton Jennings at third slip off James Anderson on nine, appeared to be sticking around.
But en route to a 77-ball fifty, he found a like-minded ally in Bavuma - the batsman who had stood in England's way longer than the rest with a half-century first time round.
In the hosts' second innings, no one worked harder than number three Westley, who shared a stand of 62 with Keaton Jennings and then - during a partnership of 78 with Root - reached 50 at his second attempt in Test cricket when he clipped Morne Morkel past midwicket for his ninth four from the 119th ball he faced.
His second-wicket partner Jennings needed none of the good fortune he had relied upon the previous day, after England resumed on 74 for one.
The left-hander was assured in defence and middled the ball in measured attack too until - only two short of his half-century - he finally got a ball with his name on it.
Kagiso Rabada found alarming bounce to have the opener helplessly splicing a simple catch to gully.
Westley's struggle brought him just nine runs from 54 balls in 85 minutes, while 47 were scored at the other end.
But he did not panic - and after Root took 13 deliveries to open his account, the captain was soon batting fluently.
Both were rewarded with fifties, Root reaching his from 91 balls shortly after Westley was stumped trying to take the attack to Keshav Maharaj (three for 50).
The slow left-armer struck in successive overs, Root mistiming a sweep into the hands of deep square-leg.
Dawid Malan fell lbw on DRS for 10 to a good ball from Chris Morris that jagged back into him off the pitch.
Stokes then huffed and puffed, but the desired quick runs did not really come until Bairstow got himself in too.
Day four reaction
Stuart Broad is confident England can bowl their way to victory over South Africa at The Oval - especially if they can get Ben Stokes in the mood for wickets again.
"Today, he bowled as quickly as I've seen him bowl," said Broad.
"He had the wind behind him; his tail was up, and I think that bouncer that hit Elgar early in his spell really fired him up.
"From mid-off, it felt very quick - and the slips were pretty impressed."
"It felt like one of those intimidating spells that Flintoff used to bowl - just heavy, and at the batsman.
"It was great to get two key batsmen out in quick succession with genuine pace.
"It was an exciting session to be on the field. When Stokesy gets that sort of momentum, it's great to see.
"He certainly dragged the team with him there, and we hope he can have another spell like it tomorrow."
Stokes believes England are well placed to clinch victory.
"(Hashim) Amla and (Quinton) De Kock are probably the two wickets we look at as being the main ones for us to try and get on a roll, so it's nice to see the back of those two already," Stokes told Sky Sports.
"They're in form and two really good players.
"But we've got two fighters still at the wicket at the moment, in Elgar and Bavuma, so hopefully conditions are similar tomorrow and we can get them out early on."
Day three report
England remain odds-on favourites at The Oval as Toby Roland-Jones completed his five-wicket haul on Test debut and Keaton Jennings rode his luck at the top of the order on a rain-interrupted third day.
Roland-Jones (five for 57) was unable to finish off South Africa's first innings, from a start-of-play 126 for eight, in time for England to have the option of enforcing the follow-on as Temba Bavuma (52) extended the tourists' recovery in the third Investec Test.
He did add one more success to his four on Friday, however, when Bavuma was last out in a total of 175 to give England a lead of 178.
They then put on a further 74 for one second time round before forecast rain moved in by mid-afternoon and wiped out 59 scheduled overs - Jennings and Tom Westley, one of England's two other debutants here, sharing an unbroken stand of 44 after the early departure of Alastair Cook.
Batting was far from easy under heavy cloud cover, and Jennings especially needed more than the usual share of good fortune to remain unbeaten.
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He got off the mark thanks to an overthrow single from his erstwhile compatriots - the first indication his luck might be in, and one confirmed when he edged Vernon Philander for two fours from successive deliveries, off the inside past leg-stump and then bursting through the hands of third slip as he escaped on six.
After lunch, Jennings was given out caught-behind off Kagiso Rabada on 33 but summoned DRS to demonstrate he had not hit the ball and also could not be lbw either because it pitched outside leg.
At the other end, with Cook already gone for the 11th time in his career and second in this match to Morne Morkel when he was bowled off-stump by a very good delivery from round the wicket, Westley played and missed several times too.
England's second-wicket pair began to find the middle more often, though, Westley the more convincing and easy on the eye, to consolidate an already advantageous decision as the hosts bid to go 2-1 up with one more match to play.
Bavuma had begun proceedings by guiding South Africa past the follow-on mark of 153 in a crucial ninth-wicket stand of 47 with Morkel.
Philander was pronounced fit to come in down at number 11, having recovered from a stomach upset which left him on an intravenous drip in hospital the previous evening.
But South Africa did fine without him, having collapsed at one stage on Friday to 61 for seven after Roland-Jones' memorable four-wicket burst.
Bavuma remained defiant then and returned in a highly skilled mode on his way to a three-hour half-century which he eventually brought up by guiding his eighth four to third-man off Roland-Jones from the 111th ball he faced.
He had just one minor scare on 40, when Ben Stokes almost pulled off the most brilliant of catches at gully, flinging himself to his left to intercept a skewed drive off Stuart Broad - with the total on 148.
Stokes could not quite cling on, and in Broad's next over South Africa were safely within 200 runs of England's total after a Bavuma cover-drive for four.
It was not until Morkel faced James Anderson (three for 25) for the first time that England broke the stubborn partnership, the tall left-hander edging to slip off the back foot to bring Philander to the crease at last.
He stayed there long enough for Bavuma to complete his 50 before the top-scorer was caught behind pushing forward to give Roland-Jones his fifth wicket.
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Day three reaction
England's all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson on Toby Roland-Jones' five-wicket haul on debut: "I was very impressed.
"It's not often you see a debutant settle as quickly as he did, and it was brilliant to see.
"He looked very comfortable and very confident. He knows his action, knows his game very well."
Anderson on Roland-Jones' Ashes chances: "He gets bounce, he can swing the ball, seam it, so he's got all the attributes to do well in Australia.
"But he's only one game in, so we'll just take things one step at a time."
Temba Bavuma on Roland-Jones: "You can see why he's making his debut for England.
"He definitely exploited the conditions and made use of everything that was out there. He's a good bowler."
Anderson on the pitch: "There's been signs (of encouragment for the bowlers). A few have bounced and a few have kept low.
"There's signs of it deteriorating a little bit and there's still plenty there with the seam movement."
Day two report
Ben Stokes' fifth Test century and Toby Roland-Jones' four-wicket burst on debut put England well on top after day two against South Africa at The Oval.
Stokes (112) soon lost Alastair Cook (88) after England resumed on 171 for four but shared stands of 75 for the sixth wicket and 37 for the ninth, with Jonny Bairstow and Roland-Jones, to ease them to an above-par 353 all out in awkward conditions.
Then Roland-Jones (four for 39) knocked over South Africa's top four under persistent heavy cloud cover and floodlights as the tourists collapsed to 61 for seven before a half-century stand between Kagiso Rabada and Temba Bavuma brought a revival to 126 for eight at stumps.
The day's play saw England's odds collapse to just 1/9 - they had been odds-against at the start of play.
Sky Bet were left offering 20/1 about a win for the Proteas with the draw at 9/1.
Stokes reached his hundred memorably with the second of three successive sixes off Keshav Maharaj, with only number 11 James Anderson for company by then.
But it was the all-rounder's previous graft and restraint which were the hallmarks of a hugely valuable innings, constructed atypically for a natural strokemaker.
But it provided vindication for Joe Root's decision to bat first in this third Investec Test as England try to bounce back from last week's defeat at Trent Bridge in a series level at 1-1, with two to play.
After Stokes shepherded the hosts to a credible position, reaching his century with nine fours and those three sixes off 144 balls in almost four-and-a-half hours, it was Roland-Jones' turn to take over.
The Middlesex seamer, on as first change, had his maiden Test wicket with the last ball before tea when Dean Elgar got a feint edge behind.
His next delivery, after the 20-minute break, brought a huge lbw appeal and unsuccessful DRS review for lbw against Hashim Amla - and although South Africa's number three avoided a golden duck on his return to the scene of his 2012 national-record 311 not out, he was soon to glove Roland-Jones behind for just six.
Before then, the new boy had already done for Heino Kuhn too - lbw missing an attempted on-drive - and Quinton de Kock was then caught at gully off a leading edge to give Roland-Jones his fourth wicket for 15 runs in 24 balls.
Anderson immediately did for Faf du Plessis, lbw shouldering arms and his recourse to DRS futile, and both he and Stokes appropriately got in on the act before the return of the previously wicketless Broad accounted for Rabada with an excellent delivery which trimmed the off bail.
South Africa, minus key seamer Vernon Philander after just five early overs because of a mystery stomach upset which has resulted in hospital checks, had bowled well at times but also inconsistently.
Cook was able to add only six to his overnight score before falling to the 200th delivery he faced.
He was dismissed by Morne Morkel (three for 70), for the 10th time in his career, lbw from round the wicket after the opener went to DRS only to discover the umpire's initial decision was marginally confirmed.
With Philander out of the reckoning, however, Stokes and Bairstow sensed an opportunity to attack Chris Morris and Maharaj.
The former over-pitched as both batsmen took advantage, and Bairstow swept two fours and straight-drove another in the slow left-armer's first over.
It was not until South Africa took the second new ball that there was instantly a resurgent threat, and it proved too much for Bairstow as Rabada (three for 85) found extra bounce to have him edging to second slip.
Stokes had to be much more watchful too, and when new batsman Moeen Ali edged an involuntary four off Rabada just before lunch it was the first boundary in 10 overs.
Stokes' wait between his seventh and eighth fours extended into mid-afternoon, and 58 balls.But after Moeen had gone in mildly controversial circumstances, caught-behind off Morkel according to the third umpire on DRS, Roland-Jones and Stokes took England past 300.
Morris was again targeted in one over especially which cost 17 - including the first six of the innings, hooked fine by the number nine.
His fun ended when he first faced Maharaj, lbw pushing forward in defence and missing an arm ball.
England's last two wickets lasted long enough, though, for Stokes to complete a richly-deserved hundred.
The first of his sixes off Maharaj was carried over at deep midwicket when Du Plessis took the catch but brushed his shoulder on the boundary marker as he fell backwards - and soon afterwards Stokes was last out, caught at long-off when he tried to take on the returning Morkel too.
Day two reaction
Toby Roland-Jones (on Test Match Special) on James Anderson and Stuart Broad helping calm his nerves: "It's very helpful when you've got guys at the end of your mark with the experience of Jimmy and Stuart.
"They kept me pretty calm, guiding me through the first few overs and it was adrenaline from there.
"It's a pretty special day. I can't deny there were still some nerves at the top of my mark but I just tried to keep it simple and stick to the basics."
Roland-Jones on his best scalp - Hashim Amla: "That felt like the best of the bunch, with all he's done in the game, but you savour them all at the end of the day."
Ben Stokes on his hard-fought ton: "It's probably one of those (hundreds) I've worked for the hardest.
"I didn't feel in the best of form on the first day, played and missed at quite a lot of balls - and Vernon (Philander) had a couple over me.
"I just had to stick in there with Cookie. We knew we just had to work through the hard times, and put away any bad balls.
"Then with 'Bluey' [Jonny Bairstow], I think we just fed off each other and put on a good little partnership in not very much time."
Stokes on reaching his century with number 11 Jimmy Anderson at the other end: "Jimmy said 'What are you going to do?' - and I think I just said 'Wallop'.
"You're nine down, there's obviously going to be a seamer coming on the other end - and the wind was blowing in my favour so I thought it was the best opportunity to try to get as many runs as we could.
"Thanks to Faf - he took a good catch, but just managed to fly over.
"I was just in that frame of mind that I was going to try to hit it."
A South Africa spokesman on Philander's illness: "He is going to spend the evening in hospital. He is on a drip at the moment.
"The doctors think it might be a viral infection, and we will only know tomorrow whether he can take any part in play.
"He will be reassessed in the morning."
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Eng v SA: Day two blog recap
Day one report
England invested in future potential with three debutants at The Oval but closed day one in debt to an old favourite as former captain Alastair Cook bailed them out against South Africa.
Cook moved above Allan Border up to ninth among the world's all-time record runscorers, having long been England's number one, when he scored the first of his unbeaten 82 as England reached 171 for four in the third Investec Test.
As he moved towards a 31st Test century - and new-boy batsmen Tom Westley and Dawid Malan mustered 26 between them - England had good reason yet again to be grateful for his remorseless appetite for runs which has left him with a running total of 11,256.
The no-frills opener excelled in conditions which were far from easy for any batsmen as the ball moved around in the air and off the pitch almost throughout - for the admirable Vernon Philander especially - after Joe Root chose to bat first on a day of many showers and only 59 of the scheduled 90 overs.
Cook lost his out-of-form opening partner Keaton Jennings early and, following an early flurry of boundaries, dug in with typically cussed abstinence as the hosts bid to bounce back here from last week's trouncing at Trent Bridge in a series level at 1-1 with two to play.
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Jennings has mustered just three runs in his last three innings, this time pushing forward to Philander and edging low to third slip for a duck.
Cook already had three boundaries on the board by then, and Westley was to go one better - counting his first 16 runs in fours, beginning with a flick off his legs from the fifth ball he faced in Test cricket from Morne Morkel.
Westley had just two of those early boundaries when he survived an lbw appeal from Morkel only because umpire Joel Wilson spotted a feint inside-edge as he aimed to leg. Then Cook escaped in similar circumstances on 28 after Chris Morris this time invoked DRS only for ultra-edge to detect another graze of the bat.
The miserly Philander posed the greatest threat, conceding no runs from his first 23 deliveries and precious few thereafter either.
He was indisposed with a stomach bug, however, as Cook and Westley posted an all-Essex half-century stand.
Westley's morning graft then came to nought when he tried to drive his third ball of the afternoon on the up and instead edged Morris to second slip.
Root was another to begin with an early rush of boundaries but was becalmed as the South Africa attack found their range - and crucially, Philander returned too.
The captain spent 21 balls on 27 and then, after a neat deflection for two into the leg-side off Keshav Maharaj, succumbed to Philander without further addition.
He was undone by a good ball which held its line off the pitch and an even better catch, wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock changing direction to dive off his wrong foot and cling on to a tough one-handed chance.
Malan had to be patient for his first run at this level - against the country in which he grew up - finally scampering a single from the 15th ball he faced, off Kagiso Rabada.
Shortly beforehand, a Cook square-cut counted the first boundary off Philander - doubling England's tally off him to seven runs in eight overs - and brought the mainstay his second half-century in five attempts so far since he resigned the captaincy.
Sadly, Malan was unable to add a second run before Rabada ended his maiden Test innings with a searing yorker.
Ben Stokes then helped to close out the afternoon - and in a remaining half-hour of play between the forecast downpours, England's fifth-wicket pair remained intact as Cook extended his latest vigil to 178 deliveries from which he has garnered 10 hard-earned boundaries to date.
At the close, Sky Bet had England back to their morning price of 11/10, with South Africa out to 11/4 and the draw into 2/1.
Day one reaction
England debutant Tom Westley on his debut: "It was enjoyable. You dream about, as a boy, wanting to play for England.
"It's a bit mixed emotions because I felt like I started quite nicely but then very disappointing to get a start and then get out just after lunch.
"I found out last Thursday (that he would be batting at three) so the weekend was pretty hectic and nerves were going crazy up until then but the last couple of days, practising, meeting the guys, has actually been good and helpful.
"I was obviously nervous today but I was more excited."
Westley on Alastair Cook's contribution: "I've always thought he was good! I didn't learn that today.
"But I think it just shows [what you can do] if you persist and work hard - because it did do a bit today, nipped around (off the pitch) and swung.
"But Cookie being Cookie, he fought through that - and it's one of his best qualities.
"He works hard for his runs; he's determined - and thankfully that showed through today, and he's got a brilliant 80."
South Africa's Kagiso Rabada on the lessons he has learned: "It is really simple. Just don't swear, but be yourself.
"Obviously I made a mistake, and I am not going to make it again.
"It is never nice being banned, and it's a disappointment - but if you don't show disappointment, it shows you don't care.
"I knew that I had messed up, but we have a lot of talent. I'm not the main guy of the team."