Moeen Ali’s England hat-trick threw up five very interesting facts
It’s not every day you see a Test hat-trick.
England’s Moeen Ali sealed Test victory over South Africa in the most extraordinary way at The Oval, with a hat-trick of wickets putting England 2-1 up in the four-match series.
First up, opening batsman Dean Elgar fell for a magnificent 136…
… next up it was Kagiso Rabada’s turn…
… and finally Morne Morkel went LBW.
It’s a stunning achievement, and Moeen is only the 13th England bowler to complete it. But there are more intriguing facts and figures below the surface.
100 Test Matches at the Oval
Moeen became the first player to take a Test hat-trick at The Oval, which was hosting its 100th Test since the first, between England and Australia in 1880.
Perhaps the closest anyone had come before Moeen was when Glenn McGrath had England 67-3 after consecutive wickets in the final Test of the 2005 Ashes series – the Australian bowler had Kevin Pietersen caught next at second slip… only for the ball to have come off KP’s shoulder, rather than his bat.
78 years of hurt
The Worcestershire all-rounder became the first England spinner to take a Test hat-trick since Tom Goddard back in 1938 – that match was also against South Africa, on Boxing Day 1938.
To think of all the great spinners since then who failed to achieve a Test hat-trick, including modern greats Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, Moeen’s achievement is certainly an incredible one.
Left out
Third time’s a charm
Something else that cannot be ignored is that, when Moeen attempted his hat-trick ball, he was the third England bowler to do so that innings.
Ben Stokes had Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis out in consecutive balls, before debut man Toby Roland-Jones had Temba Bavuma and Vernon Philander heading back to the changing room with back-to-back deliveries.
They think it’s all over, it is now
And last but not least, Moeen’s hat-trick was the first match-winning hat-trick in 115 years.
The last man to do it? Hugh Trumble for Australia against England in 1902 of course – Australia won by 229 runs at Melbourne thanks to Trumble’s heroics.
Will Test cricket have to wait 115 more years to see it happen again?
