England vs South Africa, 1st Test at Lord’s: Joe Root, Moeen Ali steer hosts to 211-run win

At the start of the day’s play, Joe Root would have wanted his team to bat till tea and post a colossal total. With the help of his pacers, England would have taken a wicket or two to take the match till the last day. South Africa would have been in trouble.

Nothing of that sorts happened, except South Africa were indeed in trouble.

Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source

England collapsed and how. They lost 7 wickets for 43 runs in the first session. They lost the remaining wickets in the next session, but also removed the South African openers, who eyed 331.

Now Root would have hoped to send at least half the South African side packing before the end of day’s play.

Nothing of that sorts happened, except South Africa were indeed in trouble.

England won and how. They removed the remaining 8 wickets for 107 runs in the last session. Root would not have hoped anything of these sorts, and all this in his maiden Test as the England captain, at the iconic Lord’s.

In all, 19 wickets fell on the fourth day, as England walloped South Africa by 211 runs to take 1-0 lead in four-Test series.

Joe, the root cause of the Lord’s win

England were in the woods, bumbling at 49 for 3. Vernon Philander was in the middle of a spectacular spell. In came England’s new captain, Root. He started off with an aggressive scythe to vacant third-man area. He then flicked a few and so lovely.

South Africa persisted to bowling in the corridor of uncertainty. Root fell for it. He edged it to the slip cordon, but JP Duminy could not get into a position and gifted a reprieve to Root. What happened next must have inflicted more pain to Duminy and his team. Root became the sixth Englishman to score hundred on his captaincy debut. That was not it. Morne Morkel castled Ben Stokes with an absolute snorter but off a no-ball. Morne did so for the 13th time, making a new record. It anguished England even further, as Stokes went on to score 56, adding 114 with Root.

Although Kagiso Rabada rocked Stokes with a bouncer, Root continued his good work. He got a new partner in Moeen Ali.

South Africa were still on it. All they had to do was to keep Root off strike and clean up the lower order. However, Moeen scored 87, adding 177 with Root for the sixth wicket.

Root was cruising to 200, but Morne had him caught behind in the morning session of the second day.

Stuart plays big innings

Stuart Broad went bonkers, so much so that he hit consecutive sixes off Morkel to bring his fifty. It understandable that Broad has an international hundred and can bat, but James Anderson left everyone baffled when he came down the track and pulled Rabada over deep mid-wicket. The late flourish took England to 458.

South Africa struggle, but show character

Despite losing debutant Heino Kuhn, stand-in captain Dean Elgar kept a leash on things. He scored a fifty. He had some support from the veteran Hashim Amla, but Moeen darted one back in and ended the 72-run stand. Ali then had Elgar caught at forward short-leg. 3 overs later, Duminy joined his captain in the pavilion.

The resurgence came from Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma. Although de Bruyn fell for 48 just before the end of the second day, Bavuma went on to score a fine fifty. The pair added 99 for the fifth wicket.

Quinton de Kock raced against time when he took the crease. Batting six-down, he wasted no time and launched an onslaught. And in a quest of doing so, he became the second-fastest half-centurion at Lord’s.

Philander was hit on his bowling hand, but the pacer showed audacity and scored a vital fifty, scaling down the deficit below 100 runs.

“Alas,” says South Africa, “Cook finds his feet.”

The monkey was off his back. The onus of leadership was no longer on him. He made amends for his first-innings failure, scoring a resolute 69 and setting the stage for the batters to come. However, England slumped and so embarrassingly.

19 wickets in a day’s time

England lost 7 wickets for 43 runs. Root, Stokes, and Moeen added 13 runs combined, compared to their 333 runs in the first innings. Amidst ruins, standing tall was Jonny Bairstow. His timely 51 took England to 233, setting up a target of 331 runs. Keshav Maharaj ended with 4 for 85, including a spectacular bowled each of Root and Moeen.

South Africa lost Kuhn early, again. Amla was trapped leg before, again. Duminy could not provide impetus, again. Nothing, absolute nothing went South Africa’s way. Moeen took a wicket, then one more, until he took a six-wicket haul to obliterate South Africa. The fourth innings ended within 37 overs, and that was how England beat South Africa, at Lord’s, after 57 years.

Brief scores

England 458 all-out (Joe Root 190, Moeen Ali 87; Morne Morkel 4 for 115) & 233 (Alastair Cook 69, Jony Bairstow 51; Kagiso Rabada 3 for 50, Keshav Maharaj 4 for 84) beat South Africa 361 all-out (Dean Elgar 54, Temba Bavuma 59, Vernon Philander 52;  Moeen Ali 4 for 59, James Anderson 2 for 44) & 119 all-out (Temba Bavuma 21; Moeen ALi 6 for 53) by 211 runs.

Full scorecard