England’s ‘benchmark’ win was built on pragmatism and flexibility | Ali Martin

Hosts’ dominance in second Test dispelled notions of a hell-raising approach under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum

There was a collective dustiness in Manchester on Sunday, with revellers from the city’s vibrant Pride parade and its bumper sporting weekend blinking in the sunshine as they sought solutions to various self-inflicted ailments.

After levelling the series against South Africa through three days of dominance, England’s players began their Saturday evening celebrations on the outfield at Old Trafford; a wholesome game of cricket with some of the squad’s younger family members was staged as a salmon sky developed overhead.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5rcdZLl