Five-star Bashir rips apart West Indies for series win

When Nottinghamshire announced at 2pm on the fourth day that entry for the fifth would be free, it looked for all money well, no money like a great offer.

- Ali Martin

The final equation was not yet known but an unyielding surface one that served as the canvas for centuries from Harry Brook and Joe Root was hinting at the potential for a thrilling finale. Instead, over the course of an extended evening session, the value of these tickets plummeted like the stock market after a Tufton Street mini-budget and, beyond data capture for the county's marketing team, was rendered worthless. Set a target of 385 in 138 overs to level the series, West Indies were skittled for just 143 in 36.1 overs as England reclaimed the Richards-Botham Trophy with a game to spare.

It was almost the perfect day for Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, featuring runs from the engine room Brook powering 109 from 132 balls, Root finessing 122 from 178 and a rush of wickets from an attack that, as may have been mentioned before, nolonger has either Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad at its disposal.

Among those central to the 241-run victory was the young off-spinner who they are now set on, Shoaib Bashir leading the team off the field, ball raised to all corners, after a match-winning five-wicket haul.