This Day That Year: Moeen Ali took hat-trick for England in 2017

Ali bagged Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel on successive deliveries to complete his hat-trick.

Hyderabad: 31st July 2017 is a special day for England off-spinner Moeen Ali, as he became the first England spinner to have picked a Test hat-trick. Ali achieved the feat during England's third Test match against South Africa at The Oval in London.

Moeen Ali

Chasing a target of 492, Ali's four-wicket haul including a hat-trick reduced South Africa at 252 runs and handed a 239-run victory to the hosts.

Ali bagged Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel on successive deliveries to complete his hat-trick.

Moeen Ali

Elgar's blistering knock of 136 came to end when he was caught at slip by Ben Stokes on the fifth ball of the 76th over. In the next ball, Rabada fell the second victim of Ali after he departed on a duck in a similar fashion as Elgar.

Ali completed the feat by trapping Morkel (0) leg before wicket on the first ball of his next over.

Moeen Ali

As a result, Ali became the first English spinner since Tom Goddard in 1938 to grab a hat-trick in Test cricket. Meanwhile, Stuart Broad is the only player from England to have taken two hat-tricks in the longest format of the game.

Moeen Ali

Ali returned to the figures of 4-45 in 16.1 overs in the second innings after going wicket-less in the first innings.

England won the four-match Test series by 3-1 after winning the final game of the series by 177 runs.