Moeen hat-trick seals England win

Moeen Ali took the first-ever Test hat-trick at The Oval to wrap up a 239-run win for England as the hosts took a 2-1 series lead with one match to play.

Dean Elgar's brilliant 136 went in vain as South Africa were bowled out for 252, Moeen (4-45) sneaking in and taking the final three wickets to fall and completing an historic hat-trick across two overs. 

Earlier, Toby Roland-Jones (3-72) took two wickets in as many balls and almost claimed a hat-trick of his own. . 

Elgar had found support in Temba Bavuma until the diminutive right-hander was trapped lbw by Roland-Jones, who encouraged Joe Root to review the original not out decision. It proved a wise move, and the very next ball the paceman did the trick again, helped by an amazing leave from Vernon Philander to a ball that looked to be cannoning into off-stump. 

Chris Morris edged his first ball short of Ben Stokes in the slips to narrowly avoid the hat-trick, but the right-hander's defiant 24 came to an end from the final ball before lunch, edging Moeen to Stokes at first slip to leave the Proteas 7-205. 

After a counter-attacking 24 not out from Keshav Maharaj delayed the inevitable, it was Elgar who fell to break the stubborn eighth-wicket stand, the left-hander flashing at Moeen to give Stokes another catch at first slip. 

The next wicket, which came the very next ball, was a virtual carbon copy of the Elgar dismissal as Kagiso Rabada wafted at another Moeen offering and tickled through to first slip. 

Moeen had to wait an over for his chance at a hat-trick but when it finally came he seized it, bowling one that went straight on with the arm and crashed into the pad of Morne Morkel. 

A massive appeal was originally turned down but the review followed immediately and confirmed what many had suspected - the ball pitched and hit in line, and was going on to hit leg stump. 

It was England's first hat-trick since Stuart Broad's against Sri Lanka in 2014, and a fitting end to the 100th Test at The Oval. 

The two sides are set to renew rivalries in the fourth Test at Old Trafford from Friday. 

Day four report

Ben Stokes took two wickets in two balls to leave England eyeing victory in the third Test against South Africa at The Oval on Sunday.

South Africa were 4-117 at stumps on the fourth day, needing a further 375 runs to reach a colossal target of 492 – the most made to win in the fourth innings of a Test is the West Indies' 418 for seven against Australia at St John's in 2003.

One consolation for the Proteas was the fight shown by Dean Elgar (72 not out) and Temba Bavuma (16 not out), who kept England at bay after joining forces with their side in dire trouble at 4-52.

"(Hashim) Amla and (Quinton) de Kock are probably the two wickets we look at as being the main ones for us to try and get on a roll, so it's nice to see the back of those two already – they’re in form and two really good players," Stokes told Sky Sports.

"But we’ve got two fighters still at the wicket at the moment, in Elgar and Bavuma, so hopefully...we can get them out early on (Monday)," he added.

The 100th Test at The Oval is turning into a personal triumph for Stokes after he laid the platform for England's dominant position with 112 in a first-innings total of 353.

"Today, he bowled as quickly as I've seen him bowl," said Stuart Broad of Stokes, with the England new ball-veteran comparing a return of 2-29 in eight overs to the kind of fiery display he used to witness at first-hand from Andrew Flintoff.

"It felt like one of those intimidating spells that Flintoff used to bowl – just heavy, and at the batsman," added Broad, who removed South Africa opener Heino Kuhn after England captain Joe Root declared his side's second innings on 8-313 at tea.

A draw on Monday – which would ensure this see-saw four-match series remained level at 1-1 ahead of next week's finale at Old Trafford – is not yet beyond South Africa, who thrashed England by 340 runs in the second Test at Trent Bridge.

Elgar has a badly bruised finger but Proteas assistant coach Adrian Birrell insisted the left-handed opener would be fit to bat. 

"It's not broken, and if it was broken it wouldn't make a difference," he said.

Birrell added: "We’re in a bit of a hole but we will fight...It's quite a buoyant change room – it's not doom and gloom. There is hope."

Earlier, Toby Roland-Jones's dream debut then continued when, for the second time this Test, he had star batsman Amla out in single figures.

Amla had made just five when, trying to withdraw his bat, he saw the ball fly low off the face to Root at second slip.

Replays confirmed the catch and Amla, caught behind off Roland-Jones for six as the Middlesex seamer took 5-57 in the Proteas' meagre first innings 175, was on his way.

It was a far cry from five years ago at The Oval when Amla, now 34, struck South Africa's Test-record score of 311 not out.

Dangerman de Kock only managed five before he was bowled by an excellent Stokes yorker.

Next ball South Africa captain Faf du Plessis was out for a golden duck after he padded up to Stokes.

Du Plessis, who'd fallen in similar fashion to James Anderson for just one in the first innings, reviewed but to no avail.

Durham allrounder Stokes was on a hat-trick at the start of his next over. Bavuma denied him that prize before Elgar completed a 77-ball fifty.

The only thing missing for England on a great day was a wicket for birthday boy Anderson, their all-time most successful Test bowler, who turned 35 on Sunday.

At the other end of the experience spectrum, England debutant No.3 Tom Westley made a maiden Test fifty after resuming on 28 not out.

Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, with a run-a-ball fifty, then kept the runs coming against a tiring attack.