Moeen Ali matches Andrew Flintoff's Ashes success with entertaining splurge of sixes

Moeen Ali of England
Ali salutes the balcony after a six took him to his half century Credit: AFP

Andrew Flintoff has spent most of this match watching from the Old Trafford pavilion so it was fitting he was on the ground when Moeen Ali matched one of his feats from 2005.

Moeen became the first England player since Flintoff in that Ashes summer to score 200 runs and take 20 wickets in a single series when he powered his way to an unbeaten 67, slotting the kind of sixes that were trademark of Freddie at his peak.

A Flintoff six was once dropped in one of the hospitality boxes at Edgbaston by his Dad but Jonny Bairstow has a safer pair of hands and took a dolly when Moeen slapped Keshav Maharaj over long on and straight into the England dressing room.

It was a shot that brought up his half century and a standing ovation from an Old Trafford crowd that had greeted his arrival at the crease with big cheers for Moeen is now one of the most popular cricketers in the country.

Johnny Bairstow balcony
Bairstow celebrates catching Ali's six on the balcony Credit: GETTY IMAGES

England fans are blessed at the moment for the four senior players - Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Moeen and Bairstow - are all entertainers who make the steep ticket prices at Test matches worthwhile when they are in full flow.

“The fans asked me to wave at them a couple of times but it is difficult when you are batting. At places like here and Edgbaston when the crowd get on your side you ride the wave a bit and keep them going as well,” said Moeen.

“I like to entertain myself and everybody else when I am in that rhythm and mood. I just went with the flow. My family and parents were in the crowd and I wanted to make sure they came all the way here and enjoyed my batting.”

Despite the runs and wickets in this series Moeen still sees himself as a batsman who bowls as a second string and while the kidology England have used this summer to take the pressure off him has been puzzling, it has also worked.

The final test will be today when he has to bowl in the fourth innings to win the game for England having seen South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj exploit the rough from the Brian Statham End.

Moeen Ali of England
Ali finished day three with 67 off 59 balls Credit: GETTY IMAGES

“I feel that now I have played quite a bit of Test cricket and my batting and bowling are getting closer together,” he said.

“The one thing that gives me the most enjoyment is bowling in the last innings. In the past I have thought about it too much and the pressure gets to you but I have tried to keep my mind clear and just be as simple as I can with the ball.

"Thankfully I have been more consistent with the ball and that bowling average is coming down a bit. I want to be known as an allrounder but I am definitely a batsman who can bowl a bit.”

Moeen fed off the crowd and he rated this as one of his best Test innings as he scored at quicker than a run a ball on a pitch that had troubled every other batsman. He was playing on instinct at times and had luck dropped early on in the slips and almost played on to his first ball.

“I think it was my best (innings) in terms of trying to take momentum away and putting pressure back on them.

"I had a few hacks which you get away with at times but the situation of the game we needed a bit of impetus and few shots and get 30-40 runs or so as quick as we could. Sometimes you can be a sitting duck and I did not want to do that.”

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