How I miss being out in the middle. Two evenly matched teams have produced some brutally tense and competitive cricket. Sri Lanka can say that now, for they might have been beaten painfully, but they have not been flattened. It would have been the same had England lost.
Cricket is a physical game decided by strength of mind.
It is apparent now, following the clearing of the storm clouds around the umpires, that Sri Lanka conceded too much to England after Galle - their attacking batsmen have been planned out, Muttiah Muralitharan has been neutralised. England's bowlers have been happy even to give up consecutive boundaries, as a prelude to the sucker set-up ball. Always playing to a plan, England have out-thought Sri Lanka, and ultimately outfought them. England's series victory is a credit to their team ethic. And how the fielders have backed up their bowlers.