Hooray for spring chickens

So, England have won the inaugural NatWest Challenge, and today's decider at Lord's was a fitting finale to an uplifting trio of matches. First and foremost, it's a memorable start to Michael Vaughan's reign - he may not have contributed much with the bat, but his attacking approach and calm authority in the field were pivotal to his team's efforts, and he deservedly becomes the first England captain to win his first series in charge since Adam Hollioake in Sharjah in 1997-98.

Nine balls separated England and Pakistan at the end, but in truth, the difference between the sides was much, much less. For if Pakistan had fielded half as well as they bowled, then it would surely have been Rashid Latif lifting the trophy.

At this stage of their redevelopments, however, results are less important than resolve. Both sides are rebuilding and inexperienced, which was one of the main reasons why this short series was such fun to watch. Each match had more crash, bang and wallop than a Tom and Jerry cartoon, and it was that very youthful exuberance which brought the games to life. Australia are the only side in the world with a team of grown-ups who have been there, done that and won the trophy: everyone else has to do the best with what they've got.

England's victory was an especially sweet moment for Marcus Trescothick and Chris Read, who not only carried England home, but laid their Lord's ghosts to rest in the process. Trescothick's 108 was his third century in four ODI innings at Lord's - but the first time he had ended up on the winning side. For Read, this was his first innings back since that embarrassing infamous blunder against Chris Cairns's slower ball, two post-World-Cup-reshuffles ago in 1999.

But while those two lead England's celebrations at the start of a new era, you have to feel sorry for Latif. As captain he has restored spirit and unity to the Pakistani cause since the World Cup, and he captained and kept admirably in this series. It was Latif who defused a potentially unpleasant situation by informing the umpires that a slip catch off Jim Troughton had not carried, and it was he who sparked England's mid-innings collapse with two smart dismissals in quick succession.

So it was unfortunate that it was Latif, of all people, who arguably lost the game - and the series - for Pakistan when he spilled a crucial chance off Trescothick late in the piece. But it just goes to show that even the most experienced member of the team can make mistakes. So here's to youthful exuberance - it's certainly the way forward. Just ask that spring chicken Darren Gough.