A summer of impressive progress

There was something a little incongruous about the sprayed champagne, fireworks and glitter that greeted the end of the Oval Test: surely England have never seen an innings loss celebrated so enthusiastically.

The celebration was not for the game, of course, but for the series. As the wag in the crowd remarked during the ceremony, though, "it felt like winning the lottery the day your wife left you".

"Wouldn't that be like winning the lottery twice?" his friend asked. They laughed. There was little pain in this defeat for England and there won't be much consolation in victory for Australia. They came for the Ashes, not encouragement.

Perhaps it would be wrong to read too much into the result of this last Test. As Alastair Cook suggested afterwards, England were drained emotionally after Trent Bridge. And while the intentions were still good, just a little of the intensity had left their performance.

And perhaps it is wrong to contextualise this series. The Ashes matters in its own right. It is an ending in itself. To many cricket followers - those who have packed the grounds this summer but may not make the fairly serious economic sacrifice in non-Ashes years - what comes next will matter little. Questions of quality or concerns about the future won't bother them. England won the Ashes: the rest is an unnecessary detail.

But that's not the world in which we live and that's not the schedule that England face. There is always another tour; another challenge. There is always context to consider and the future to plan. And, despite this victory, England will go to both the UAE and South Africa as underdogs.

That may well be the way they like it. Coming into this summer, there were many who predicted a grim few months for England. New Zealand and Australia both looked strong opposition and it was feared that England would be thrashed in all formats.

To have won four of the seven Tests and secured the Ashes is a triumph, then. Throw in the limited-overs success against New Zealand and England can reflect on a summer of impressive progress. Realistically, they could hardly have fared better.

If that sounds hyperbolic, then consider how the season started. England returned from the Caribbean, where they had been held to a draw in the Test series, to a chaotic situation where their managing director and coach learned of their sacking from the media. They were in chaos.

So this is a fine result. And while they benefited from the absence of Ryan Harris, home conditions, Brad Haddin's failure to hold on to a chance offered by Joe Root at Cardiff and some odd Australian selections, they also benefited from some wise and calm coaching, a batting line-up that compensated for its fragility with its depth and a bowling attack that was strong enough to accommodate for one or two men having an off game. It speaks volumes that Cook rates this victory as his finest achievement.

But problems remain; many of them familiar. They came into the summer looking for a new opening batsman and they still are. They came into the summer with questions to answer about both their ability to play spin and their ability to field a quality spin attack. Those questions remain. And for all the potential apparent in Jos Buttler's white-ball batting, he has endured a pretty wretched Ashes against the red ball. England will retain faith, but as the careers of Mark Ramprakash and Graeme Hick showed us, talent alone isn't always enough. For now, Buttler remains an unfulfilled talent at Test level.

He is not the only one of England's talented young players whose progress has stalled this summer. While Joe Root has confirmed his emergence as a world-class batsman, Gary Ballance - around whom England thought their batting would be built - has been dropped, James Taylor didn't get a look in and Jonny Bairstow's Oval performance suggested that the gap between county and international cricket has grown a little larger than is healthy.

Maybe it is Ben Stokes who exemplifies the state of this England team better than anyone. Stokes has, at times this summer, looked a champion player. His century against New Zealand at Lord's was a gem of an innings; his six-wicket haul against Australia at Trent Bridge a performance of which a swing bowler as talented as Jimmy Anderson would have been proud. In between times, he has taken a couple of outrageous catches, hit a couple of fine half-centuries and bowled some decent if unrewarded spells.

But he has also, at times, looked like a novice. And what more could we expect? For Stokes, like many of this young England side, is learning his trade. He is 24. He is, like the team he represents, a work in progress.

So while Cook's prediction, even in the moment of triumph, for "more dark days in the future" may seem oddly negative, it is also realistic. Nobody should think that victory in the Investec Ashes means England are the finished article.

But nor should they ignore his prediction of "really good days as well". For there is talent and there is spirit in this side. And, unburdened by expectation, they will travel this winter with their hosts the ones feeling the burden of favouritism. Maybe England will surprise us once more. They are, at least, dangerous opposition and they appear to be enjoying the battle and the learning experience.

As to the immediate future, England are likely to announce their limited-overs squad on Tuesday. Moeen Ali will probably to return to the top of the order - likely alongside Alex Hales - while there is a temptation to rest one or two players. Root is one obvious candidate, but Buttler, Stokes and Mark Wood might also benefit from a physical and mental break. Eoin Morgan, the limited-overs captain, is believed to want to field a full-strength side, but there is almost no point asking Stuart Broad or Jimmy Anderson to lace their boots again this season.

As for those players not involved in the limited-overs squads - the likes of Ian Bell and Alastair Cook - a decision will be made about their workload in the coming days. Cook - with Essex left with little to play for - looks likely to take a decent break but Bell may be tempted to play for Warwickshire on T20 finals day this weekend. Judging by the weariness etched in his face, however, he may be better placed heading on holiday. He looks exhausted and, as the example of Jonathan Trott taught us, sometimes the player's enthusiasm for the game needs to be managed for their own good.

Perhaps such issues are details. England have reclaimed the Ashes 18 months after the nadir of Sydney. The squad - the coaches, the players, perhaps everyone involved in English cricket - deserves a moment of quiet satisfaction. The world hurtles on; the next hurdle will come soon enough. Enjoy the champagne while it's still cold.