The Wisden Trophy is back in England's keeping, as it has been for the past nine years save for the 69 days between the end of the Trinidad Test in March and yesterday. All that West Indian hard work in the winter has gone to waste, although such was their palpable lack of commitment in this series, there should be little sympathy that a trophy won over five Tests should be given away in two.

Another heavy defeat, this time by an innings and 83 runs, will raise some serious questions before the three-match one-day series, starting at Headingley Carnegie on Thursday, principally concerning the position of the captain, Chris Gayle. Before this match he admitted that he and Test cricket would soon suffer a parting of the ways and five days freezing in Durham in front of pitiful crowds cannot have done much for his appetite for the longer form of the game.

At the end of the match, though, Gayle reaffirmed his commitment to the West Indies cause, at least in the short term, and it is to be hoped that he can find a way to galvanise his team into providing stiffer competition in the matches to come.

England have reacquainted themselves with the art of winning, which is no small thing with the Ashes seven weeks away. Previously they had forged winning positions without finishing off the job, but they were nothing if not ruthless over the past two Tests. The Ashes triumph of 2005 was forged on the back of two years of consistent success, rather than just two games, but the confidence gained by beating a poor West Indies team should not be underestimated. An important summer has got off to the perfect start in terms of results.

England's successes were numerous: the composure and class of Ravi Bopara, named England's man of the series for his two hundreds; the vitality and skill of James Anderson, the man of the match; the purity of Matt Prior's strokeplay; the imposing presence and intelligence of Stuart Broad with the new ball; the honest endeavour of Graham Onions at first change and the sparky enthusiasm of Graeme Swann.

These were the principal players in an orchestra expertly controlled by the conductor, Andrew Strauss. But what was apparent, perhaps above all else, was the evident pleasure they took in each other's success. Of course, winning and team spirit go together like Pimm's and lemonade, but it was clear in the winning moments that the rancour of recent months was a distant memory. Strauss and Andy Flower, the team director, generous and inclusive fellows both, can take great credit for the process that began in the Caribbean, the fruits of which are being picked now.

Only the fourth seam bowler's place is in question before the Ashes, and that can be answered swiftly if Andrew Flintoff shows no ill effects from the couple of championship games he must play for Lancashire in June. If Flintoff's injury takes longer to heal than expected, then Tim Bresnan did his chances of holding on to his place no harm yesterday, bowling unchanged from the Lumley End, and skilfully.

Strauss gave Bresnan first dibs when play began, which raised an eyebrow or two given that he had looked the least likely of the England quartet. As he ran in to begin his 25th over as an international cricketer, he must have wondered whether a first Test wicket was ever going to come his way. Then Brendan Nash obligingly clipped a leg-stump half-volley to square leg and Bresnan was up and running.

In the manner of London buses, two more swiftly followed, Denesh Ramdin edging a good outswinger to slip and Fidel Edwards scooping to fine leg to give Bresnan the pleasure of completing victory.

It was Anderson, though, who caused the most problems, partnering Bresnan throughout the day's play from the Finchale End. Four wickets fell to him in a spell of swing bowling upon which it would be hard to improve, giving him nine in the match. Lendl Simmons was the only soft wicket handed to Anderson as he steered an innocuous ball to backward point, but Jerome Taylor, Sulieman Benn and the stubborn Shivnarine Chanderpaul were got out by a combination of aggression, swing and near flawless control.

Taylor and Benn had their stumps uprooted, beaten by a full length and late swing. In truth, Anderson may have felt the need to aim for the stumps, rather than the edge of the bat. Paul Collingwood was standing in - statuesque at times, it must be said - for Prior, whose bruised finger did not allow him to take the field as wicketkeeper. There was no bigger smile than the one that wreathed Collingwood's face when a feathered edge from Chanderpaul somehow nestled in his palms. He looked down at the ball in the manner of a man who had found a precious stone in his hand and could not quite believe it was there.

And so a much-maligned series comes to an end. It was the contest few wanted - not Sri Lanka, not the good folk of the North East and palpably not the touring team - although the booty on offer will help the West Indies Cricket Board to pay the bills for a while yet. England's celebrations were genuine enough, but as the players began the now ritual lap of honour, they suddenly realised that such a show was pointless, there being not one supporter on the far side of the ground. Somehow, it was a fitting end.

England: First Innings
*A J Strauss c Ramdin b Gayle 26
A N Cook c Gayle b Benn 160
R S Bopara b Baker 108
J M Anderson b Edwards 14
K P Pietersen c Simmons b Benn 49
P D Collingwood not out 60
M J Prior c Benn b Simmons 63
S C J Broad not out 28
Extras (b 20, lb 5, w 8, nb 28) 61
Total (6 wkts dec, 147 overs) 569
T T Bresnan, G P Swann and G Onions did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-282, 3-326, 4-410, 5-419, 6-513.
Bowling: Taylor 20-2-68-0; Edwards 25-1-113-1; Baker 30-3-119-1; Gayle 14-2-31-1; Benn 43-8-146-2; Simmons 14-0-60-1; Sarwan 1-0-7-0.

West Indies: First Innings
D S Smith b Anderson 7
*C H Gayle lbw b Anderson 19
R R Sarwan c Bresnan b Broad 100
L M P Simmons c Strauss b Anderson 8
S Chanderpaul c Prior b Broad 23
B P Nash b Anderson 10
D Ramdin c Swann b Anderson 55
J E Taylor lbw b Onions 10
S J Benn run out 35
F H Edwards c Strauss b Broad 11
L S Baker not out 0
Extras (b 2, lb 21, w 2, nb 7) 32
Total (84.3 overs) 310
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-38, 3-68, 4-167, 5-188, 6-205, 7-216, 8-286, 9-310.
Bowling: Anderson 26.3-5-87-5; Broad 16-2-62-3; Onions 18-6-52-1; Bresnan 10-2-35-0; Swann 14-4-51-0.
Second Innings
D S Smith lbw b Swann 11
*C H Gayle c Strauss b Onions 54
R R Sarwan lbw b Onions 22
L M P Simmons c sub b Anderson 10
S Chanderpaul c Collingwood b Anderson 47
B P Nash c sub b Bresnan 1
D Ramdin c Anderson b Bresnan 0
J E Taylor b Anderson 5
S J Benn b Anderson 0
F H Edwards c sub b Bresnan 4
L S Baker not out 4
Extras (b 8, lb 5, w 5) 18
Total (44 overs) 176
Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-88, 3-89, 4-141, 5-142, 6-146, 7-163, 8-167, 9-168.
Bowling: Anderson 16-5-38-4; Broad 5-1-21-0; Swann 3-0-13-1; Onions 6-0-46-2; Bresnan 14-2-45-3.
Man of the match: Anderson.
Men of the series: England: Bopara. West Indies: Edwards.
Umpires: S J Davis (Australia) and E A R de Silva (Sri Lanka).
Television umpire: P J Hartley.
Match referee: A J Pycroft (Zimbabwe).
Series details: First Test match (Lord's): England won by ten wickets.
England win two-match series 2-0