Not for the first time this summer England kept the celebrations largely in check. The stand-in captain Ollie Pope and debutant Josh Hull lifted the trophy that marked a second series victory but, coming in the aftermath of an eight-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka in the final Test of the season, no one was popping any champagne corks.
It was the kind of self-awareness that might have come in handy across the previous couple of days, with a loose and shabby performance – their worst for three years – proving ruinous. Although as ever, this risks detracting from their opponents who, through a spirited bowling display and a sublime century from Pathum Nissanka, flipped this finale on its head. Having pushed England closer than West Indies had managed to, Dhananjaya de Silva’s men deserved to savour this first Test victory on English soil for 10 years.
