England learnt more in a scrappy game against Sri Lanka than in all their easy white-ball walkovers this summer.

This was a tough grind on an end-of-season pitch that required brains, not brawn, and they did so without a big innings from Joe Root or the bowling of Adil Rashid.

Instead Will Jacks played the all-round game of his career, striking a vital 46 to help England set a total of 265 before he finished with bowling figures of five for 22. Jacks looked more astonished by it all than anyone else when he bowled Sri Lanka’s last man with a ripping off-break.

You do not expect spinners to dominate at Chester-le-Street, but this hot summer has produced strange events, none more so than Jacks recording the second-best figures by an England spinner in one-day international cricket having previously only taken three wickets in 16 games at home.

Sachindu Colombage, Sri Lanka’s debutant leggie who was playing club cricket in East Anglia a year ago, laid down a marker as he impressed with three for 44 starting…