MANCHESTER – Moeen Ali completed a brilliant series with a five-wicket haul as England beat South Africa by 177 runs in the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Monday.
Victory, achieved with more than a day to spare, also saw England take the four-match series 3-1, with Joe Root triumphant in his first series as England captain.
The Proteas, set a massive 380 to win, were dismissed for 202 shortly after tea on the fourth day, with Ali wrapping things up with two wickets in two balls.
That gave the off-spinner a return of 5/69 in 19.5 overs and 25 wickets in total in a series where he also scored 252 runs.
South Africa, 43/3 at lunch, saw Hashim Amla (83) and captain Faf du Plessis (61) put on 123 for the fourth wicket.
But Ali then took three wickets for five runs in 11 balls – including the prize scalp of Amla – as South Africa collapsed from 163/3 to 173/6.
England had laid the platform for victory by establishing a first-innings lead of 136 that owed much to Jonny Bairstow’s 99 and a return of 4/38 from James Anderson – bowling from the newly-named James Anderson End at his Lancashire home ground.
Ali’s second-innings 75 not out then left the Proteas with a huge chase.