England’s Moeen Ali impresses with bat and ball in his first Ashes Test

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The expectation is often that the spinners will prevail in Cardiff. Certainly that is frequently the view of weary pacemen, who watch their fastest balls decelerate upon landing before, more often than not, flopping into the wicketkeeper’s gloves. On Thursday Moeen Ali struck by dismissing the world’s No1 batsman, Steve Smith, and Michael Clarke, the twinkle-toed destroyer of pedestrian finger-spinners. This makes Moeen England’s most successful spin bowler in Ashes history – in Cardiff.

Six years ago – when England had a spin attack to make you salivate – Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar took 1 for 246 in Australia’s first Test here. They did not bowl particularly well but the pitch tantalised; it suggested turn; occasionally there was turn. But it was clearly difficult to bowl anyone out.

Hugh Morris, once England’s cricket director but now the chief executive here, was beaming. He could find only one minor drawback. “So far it’s gone so well with runs coming at four an over. The only problem is that the bars have been a bit empty. They are all watching the cricket,” he said with a hint of mischievous disappointment.

Certainly this is a surface to make bowlers of all descriptions sweat and where fluent strokeplay is possible.
There may be a bit of movement in the air and off the pitch but not much pace. There is no guarantee that the edges will carry. Before the match Stuart Broad hoped for a “slow seamer”, a curious request for an opening bowler but maybe a pragmatic one in the first Test against this Australian bowling attack – and at least 50% of his desires have been satisfied. Still, it’s never supposed to be easy in Test cricket. Mitchell Johnson clocked up his hundred without taking a wicket yet he did not seem to be bowling badly.

Meanwhile the spinners have been dependent on batsman error rather than the unplayable delivery for their hard-earned wickets (which is nearly always the case, by the way). Thus they require patience, perseverance and a bit of luck. For the all-rounders – and there are a few in this game – it required less energy to impose themselves with the bat rather than the ball.

So far Moeen has managed to enhance his reputation in both disciplines in his first Ashes Test. He has the credentials to be the best No8 in Test history, albeit as an impostor given he has been batting at three for Worcestershire for the past half-dozen years.

Yet it is far from straightforward to make this change. The main trap is to conclude: “Well, if they want me to bat at eight, I’ll damn well bat like a No8.” It is perhaps the equivalent to being the last speaker at a gala dinner, waiting until midnight to stand up when the audience is either on its way home or drunk. It can be construed as a bit of an insult.

There is always the danger of running out of partners when playing well at No8. Opportunities for a major score are limited. In fact, Moeen shows signs of making a virtue of batting so far down the order even though he would prefer to bat higher. He can bat with freedom there and that is how he likes to play. He essays more cover drives in one innings than Alastair Cook attempts in a month and long may that balance continue.

There were several of the highest quality in his 77, especially against Mitchell Starc, who retained his determination to let the ball swing and, therefore, his full-length.

Moeen also clipped the ball off his toes with silky timing. On this pitch the short ball seldom disturbed him – in fact, he received very few since the Australians were reserving most of their bouncers for Stuart Broad. So Moeen ensured England reached a total similar to the one that enabled them to draw the 2009 Test against Australia – just.

He did not terrify the Australian batsmen with his off-spin but he did get two of the best ones out. Moeen knows the Australians are minded to attack whoever is selected to bowl spin in this series, which is a chastening thought.
Smith fulfilled that expectation in Moeen’s fourth over. At the start of it Smith spotted that mid-on was far too wide. He cracked the first ball in that gap. He then dragged the second from outside off stump to the same spot and, for good measure, smashed another drive through extra cover. The promised assault was duly being delivered.

Cook kept Moeen on. Three overs later Smith advanced down the track. Perhaps Moeen saw him coming. More likely he just sensed that Smith was advancing – this happens – and the bowler instinctively adjusted his line and length, holding the ball back and propelling it outside leg stump. Smith was suddenly as entangled as an octopus with pads on.

Somehow a leading edge sent the ball to an elated Cook. Smith had undoubtedly contributed more to this dismissal than Moeen, yet England’s off-spinner deserved this wicket because he had managed to keep himself on after the early assault from Smith.

That is a crucial art for any spinner, which Moeen learned well last summer.

The dismissal of Clarke? Well, obviously Moeen held the ball back, it being a mini-doosra, which held its line upon kissing the turf, thereby deceiving a bewildered Australian captain.

Er, no. Clarke also wanted to impose himself and made a mistake. Moeen took a fine catch but he was still bowling at the time.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/jul/09/england-moeen-ali-first-ashes-test-australia-cricket