Ben Stokes on song and new faces shine – 5 things we learned from Windies series

England completed their first assignment of the summer by securing a 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies at Edgbaston.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what lessons can be learned from the series.

Ashes on the agenda

There is life after James Anderson

Parting ways with the most prolific fast bowler in the history of the game was never going to be simple, but England finally cut the cord on the man who has led their attack for most of the past two decades. Anderson resisted the idea of scripting his own ending so eventually had the final chapter written for him by the selectors. With nobody capable of replicating his exact skills, England are banking on pace as the new defining feature of their bowling attack. Gus Atkinson stepped up brilliantly with 22 wickets in his first Test series and hitting 90mph along the way, while Mark Wood’s lightning bolts became more integral than ever. With Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue likely to come back into the Test equation next summer, England are eyeing a pace arsenal with real firepower.

Smith is the real deal

Surgery has saved Stokes

West Indies plight is a warning sign

Without taking anything away from England’s efforts, seeing the West Indies routed in 10 days of a scheduled 15 represents a red flag. Ticket sales have been outstanding once again this summer, but a one-sided series means there is no room for complacency. Watching the likes of Kirk McKenzie struggle to compete while T20 stars like Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmyer compete in The Hundred is a bad look for the game. The West Indies need more financial muscle to keep their best players involved and the England and Wales Cricket Board must do more – financially and politically – to fight for the global game.