Hosts England captured their first Test series win over South Africa in 19 years as they beat Faf du Plessis’ men by 177 runs in Old Trafford on Monday.
Joe Root’s men were 2-1 up in the four-match series coming into the final Test at Manchester and had set the visitors an improbable fourth innings target of 380 runs to square the series.
On an eventful fourth day of the final Test, we take a look at the three key talking points in England’s charge to victory.
With an imposing and neigh impossible run chase of 380 runs ahead of them, it was crucial that the South African openers get them off to a good start. It wasn’t to be though, as the duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad were in menacing form from the get go.
After bowling some threatening deliveries, Broad got his man in the fourth over of the South African innings. He had Dean Elgar caught behind with a beautiful delivery on off stump which straightened just a bit to deceive Elgar.
Anderson, still basking in the glory of having one end at Old Trafford named after him, was the next to get in the act, removing Heino Kuhn with a full out-swinging delivery.
Broad sent back Elgar in just the fourth over of South Africa’s innings
The Proteas were put in a precarious position just before lunch when the third seamer, Toby Roland Jones, had Temba Bavuma playing away from his body to brandish a faint edge on the way to the wicket-keeper.
After the appeal was turned down by the umpire, Root successfully reviewed the decision to leave South Africa reeling at 43/3 at lunch.
With three of the top-order back in the pavillion before lunch, the writing was on the wall for the South Africans on a lively Old Trafford pitch. With a big rebuilding job on their hand, veterans Amla and du Plessis weathered down the English storm post lunch.
There were plays and misses aplenty but the two stuck to the task as they gradually built a solid partnership.
Amla and du Plessis put on a 123 runs stand for the fourth wicket
England have managed to keep Amla fairly quite in the series save for his brilliant knocks in the Nottingham Test. On Monday, the 34-year-old batsman was back to his usual best as he steadily built his innings.
The Proteas skipper was equally solid at one end as the two put on 123 runs between them in 31 overs.
After his excellent turn with the bat in England’s second innings where his unbeaten 75 had rescued the hosts from a shaky position, the all-rounder broke the shackles after Amla and du Plessis had frustrated the hosts with a stubborn stand.
With South Africa looking threatening again at 163/3, Ali provided the crucial breakthrough of Amla. The right-handed batsman shuffled across the off stump in customary fashion to flick the ball leg-side but missed making a connection to be trapped on the pads.
England’s appeals were shot down by the umpire but Root decided to review successfully a second time.
Ali is mobbed by his teammates after dismissing Hashim Amla
Ali was not done with Amla’s scalp and in the very next over he had the dangerous Quinton de Kock and Theunis de Bruyn edging to the slips as he made full use of the rough on the Old Trafford pitch.
Within the space of three overs, the Birmingham born all-rounder had quelled all South African hopes of any miraculous escape and pointed England to their first home series win over the visitors since 1998.
