Moeen inspires England to 211-run win

Moeen Ali finished with career-best figures of 6 for 53 and 10 in the match as England defeated South Africa by 211 runs to win the first Test at Lord's with more than a day to spare on Sunday.

Chasing a stiff 331, South Africa rolled over for 119 inside 37 overs to give England a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. The result also meant Joe Root, who made 190 in the home side's first-innings 458, walked off with a resounding victory in his first Test as captain.

Moeen's 15-over spell featured a burst of 5 for 20 in 25 balls on a pitch offering sharp turn, and he was named the Player of the Match.

The fourth day began well for South Africa as England, who resumed on 119 for 1 in its second innings, found itself seven wickets down before lunch.

It could have been worse had Vernon Philander not dropped a simple catch at long-off when Jonny Bairstow on seven mistimed a drive off Keshav Maharaj, the left-arm spinner. Bairstow made South Africa pay by making 51 before he was last man out in a total of 233, stumped by Quinton de Kock off Maharaj.

History put England in the driver's seat, as only once, when the West Indies posted 344 for 1 against it in 1984, had a side made more than 300 in the fourth innings to win a Lord's Test.

Bairstow was equally adept behind the stumps. He held a superb one-handed catch, diving low down the legside, to give England its first breakthrough on Sunday when Heino Kuhn (1), the Test debutant, feathered one off James Anderson.

South Africa's 12 for 1 soon became 25 for 3 at the stroke of tea when Dean Elgar (2), the stand-in skipper, offered a return catch to Moeen and JP Duminy sent a Mark Wood delivery into the hands of Moeen at mid-wicket.

Hashim Amla then fell for his interval score of 11 when, beaten on the outside edged by an excellent delivery from Liam Dawson, the left-arm spinner, he was trapped in front.

Moeen continued to chip away as South Africa's 61 for 4 became 82 for 8. De Kock (18) and Bavuma were both bowled aiming across the line, while Theunis de Bruyn, Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada also fell to Moeen. Dawson ended the match when Morkel holed out to Keaton Jennings in the deep.

Maharaj's exit gave Moeen a tenth wicket of a match, another feather in the off-spinner's cap as he had a Test double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets, and an 87 in the first innings to his credit.

All in all, it was a fascinating fourth day at Lord's, which saw 19 wickets fall in total.