And so we reach the end of a long, hot summer.<\/strong> England won every series they played in except one, the three-Test tussle with New Zealand, which went so badly wrong that Ben Stokes resigned as the Test captain and Brendon McCullum was sacked as the Test coach.<\/p>\n Joe Root went from being a great ex-captain, reeling off hundreds, to an unexpected Test captain again, winning every game but unable to reach three figures. Stephen Fleming was appointed Test coach but didn\u2019t actually start, flying over just to say hello and make the right noises.<\/p>\n Jofra Archer went from being kept in cotton wool to playing almost every game and once again bowling so fast that it was thrilling to watch. Ollie Robinson returned and took so many wickets so cheaply that, as Andy Bull memorably said, he could have been wearing a top hat. Throw in Josh Tongue\u2019s ability to blow away the tail and Gus Atkinson\u2019s steep bounce, and England just may have another fab four to rival the one from 2005.<\/p>\n Jordan Cox announced himself as a rising star, whatever the colour of the ball, whether batting or standing in as a keeper for Jamie Smith or Jos Buttler. Harry Brook continued to bat like a dream and also began to look like a proper captain, showing just the right amount of bravery. And, today, Tom Banton made his big breakthrough.<\/p>\n For all the embarrassment of their after-hours escapades, England also have another kind of embarrassment \u2013 of riches. They have a generation of young cricketers who are talented and likeable and seem comfortable on the big stage. It should be a lot of fun seeing how far they can go.<\/p>\n England are going all over the place this winter, starting with some ODIs in Pakistan in about three weeks\u2019 time \u2013 also involving Sri Lanka. We will of course be back to bring you those. For now, thanks for your company and correspondence, all summer long. The OBO community is a wonderful thing.<\/p>\n