Sir Ian Botham says Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad’s partnership was a key factor in England moving closer to victory over Australia in the third Investec Ashes Test.
England were just 54 runs ahead of the Baggy Greens at Edgbaston when Moeen (59) and Broad (31) joined forces with the score on 190-7.
But the left-handers’ stand of 87 in 19.3 overs - the highest partnership by either side in the match - helped the home team fight their way to 281 all out, a first-innings lead of 145 runs.
England subsequently reduced Michael Clarke’s men to 168-7 by stumps on day two to become firm favourites to move 2-1 up in the five-match series - the tourists eking out a lead of just 23 with three wickets remaining.
“Moeen played some great and powerful shots,” said Beefy, after the Worcestershire all-rounder plundered his second half-century of the series.
“He countered Mitchell Johnson very well – okay, he frustrated him with plays and misses but he then whacked him when he pitched it up. Moeen is a very good man to have coming in at No 8.
“It was also good to see Broad sticking around as he has had a horror show with the bat since he got hit between the grille [by India’s Varun Aaron last summer].
“Moeen and Broad helped England get a massive lead in the context of the game as this pitch was always going to continue to give something to the bowlers, whether that be the seamers or the spinners.”
Johnson had dented England earlier in the morning, banishing the recalled Jonny Bairstow as well as Ben Stokes with searing bouncers in his first over to move past 300 Test wickets, the fifth Australian to secure the milestone.
The left-armer - now only behind Shane Warne (708), Glenn McGrath (563), Dennis Lillee (355) and Brett Lee (310) in wickets taken for Australia - finished with 2-66 from his 16 overs but the best figures were plucked by Nathan Lyon, the spinner ending with 3-36 from his 13.
Botham reckons the tweaker – whose 12 scalps in the series have only been bettered by Baggy Greens paceman Josh Hazlewood’s 13 – “bowled magnificently” in Birmingham.
And Michael Atherton says that amid a much-vaunted seam attack, Lyon’s spin must be treated with respect by opposition batsmen.
“You probably wouldn’t think that Lyon is one of the leading wicket-taker in the series, but he is,” Athers said of a bowler with 158 Test victims.
“He’s a very, very good bowler who is not to be underestimated – he’s got lovely control of his length and he gets dip because he gets a lot of over-spin on the ball.”
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