England have beaten the West Indies by an innings and 83 runs to win the two-match series 2-0 and retain the Wisden Trophy.
The match was played in the glorious surroundings of Chester-le-Street in Durham, the world's most northerly Test cricket stadium and situated in the beautiful grounds of the 14th century Lumley Castle.
Lumley is (like most English castles) reputed to be haunted. Lily, Lady Lumley, the wife of Sir Ralph Lumley who built it in 1389, is said to walk the corridors of her former home where she was murdered by local priests and her body dumped in the well, which you can still see today.
Today, the castle is a hotel.
In 2005, the touring Australian cricket team was said to have been haunted during their stay at Lumley Castle. Shane Watson got so spooked that he slept on the floor of teammate Brett Lee's room. Even the Australia media officer Belinda Dennett said: "Several of the players were uneasy although a lot of them in the morning said they were fine." The Aussies were subsequently defeated by England in the Ashes for the first time since 1987.
Australia are not the only cricket team to be spooked by the spectre. In 2000, three members of the West Indian cricket team, including captain Jimmy Adams, checked out of the same hotel because they were scared.
But this week isn't wasn't 14th Century spooks that gave West Indies the terrors, it was the awesome England bowlers.
This win lifted England up to fifth in the world rankings.
James Anderson
Second Test
England VS West Indies (at Chester-le-Street, Durham)
1st Innings
England: 569-6 dec
West Indies: 310
2nd Innings
West Indies: 176
England win by an innings and 83 runs, and win the two-match Series 2-0
James Anderson provided a swing-bowling masterclass as England beat West Indies at the Riverside by an innings and 83 runs to wrap up a 2-0 series win.
England needed seven wickets at the start of play and despite morning showers bowled out West Indies for 176 in the third over after lunch.
Anderson finished with 4-38 and excellent match figures of 9-125.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul battled away to make 47, while Tim Bresnan (3-45) claimed his first Test wickets.
With the Wisden Trophy regained in emphatic style, England will be heartened that they have won both Tests by such convincing margins with the first Ashes Test against Australia just seven weeks away.
Champagne moment: Captain Andrew Strauss enjoys the celebrations
The opening hour proved frustrating for England, featuring two interruptions and just 7.1 overs of actual cricket, but the rain was actually beneficial to the bowlers as it added some spice to the wicket, providing both swing and a bit of extra pace.
As doubts began to creep into the minds of the West Indies batsmen, England got the ball rolling with wickets from a couple of loose deliveries.
Firstly, Anderson served up a short ball wide of off-stump, but instead of launching a full-blooded cut shot, Lendl Simmons opted for a cautious steer and simply provided Scott Borthwick, a substitute fielder at backward point, with catching practice.
Borthwick claimed a second easy catch to give Bresnan his first Test wicket when Brendan Nash guided a ball travelling down the leg side to square-leg.
Bresnan's second wicket came in more authentic style when Denesh Ramdin, facing only his second delivery, edged a well pitched-up away-swinger to third slip.
But the best of the bowling, from Anderson, was still to come. Having embarrassed Jerome Taylor with a series of outswingers which the batsman missed, he decided enough was enough and uprooted his off stump with an inswinger.
In this sort of form, none of the lower order were likely to resist Anderson for long and Sulieman Benn frankly did well to last 12 balls, before a superb ball swung through his defences to make a mess of the stumps.
Conveniently it was the last ball before lunch, which came with West Indies 167-8 and Chanderpaul still there on 47.
Tim Bresnan picked up his first wickets in Test cricket
But he only survived 10 balls after the interval as Anderson, maintaining an immaculate line and length outside off stump, found the outside edge and Paul Collingwood - retaining the gloves while Matt Prior recovered from a badly-bruised finger - clung on to the catch.
The end came moments later as Fidel Edwards smacked a boundary off Bresnan but then skied a catch high to the second substitute fielder, Karl Turner. Positioned at fine leg, the youngster made no mistake - and England now go back up a place to fifth in the ICC Test rankings.
Cameo: Chris Gayle celebrates his rapid half-century on day four
Painful: Matt Prior receives treatment on his injured finger
Stand-in: Paul Collingwood deputised for Matt Prior with the gloves
Hostile: Stuart Broad was a real handful
Breakthrough: James Anderson bowls Devon Smith as West Indies reply to England's huge total
Warming up: Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook watch England's batsmen take West Indies to the cleaners
Prize wicket: Paul Collingwood, with the gloves on, celebrates catching Sihv Chanderpaul off James Anderson
Perfection: James Anderson's outswinger to dismiss Sulieman Benn would have done for far more accomplished batsmen
telegraph.co.uk
news.bbc.co.uk
The match was played in the glorious surroundings of Chester-le-Street in Durham, the world's most northerly Test cricket stadium and situated in the beautiful grounds of the 14th century Lumley Castle.
Lumley is (like most English castles) reputed to be haunted. Lily, Lady Lumley, the wife of Sir Ralph Lumley who built it in 1389, is said to walk the corridors of her former home where she was murdered by local priests and her body dumped in the well, which you can still see today.
Today, the castle is a hotel.
In 2005, the touring Australian cricket team was said to have been haunted during their stay at Lumley Castle. Shane Watson got so spooked that he slept on the floor of teammate Brett Lee's room. Even the Australia media officer Belinda Dennett said: "Several of the players were uneasy although a lot of them in the morning said they were fine." The Aussies were subsequently defeated by England in the Ashes for the first time since 1987.
Australia are not the only cricket team to be spooked by the spectre. In 2000, three members of the West Indian cricket team, including captain Jimmy Adams, checked out of the same hotel because they were scared.
But this week isn't wasn't 14th Century spooks that gave West Indies the terrors, it was the awesome England bowlers.
This win lifted England up to fifth in the world rankings.
James Anderson
accepts the congratulations after another wicket
Second Test
England VS West Indies (at Chester-le-Street, Durham)
1st Innings
England: 569-6 dec
West Indies: 310
2nd Innings
West Indies: 176
England win by an innings and 83 runs, and win the two-match Series 2-0
James Anderson provided a swing-bowling masterclass as England beat West Indies at the Riverside by an innings and 83 runs to wrap up a 2-0 series win.
England needed seven wickets at the start of play and despite morning showers bowled out West Indies for 176 in the third over after lunch.
Anderson finished with 4-38 and excellent match figures of 9-125.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul battled away to make 47, while Tim Bresnan (3-45) claimed his first Test wickets.
With the Wisden Trophy regained in emphatic style, England will be heartened that they have won both Tests by such convincing margins with the first Ashes Test against Australia just seven weeks away.
Champagne moment: Captain Andrew Strauss enjoys the celebrations
The opening hour proved frustrating for England, featuring two interruptions and just 7.1 overs of actual cricket, but the rain was actually beneficial to the bowlers as it added some spice to the wicket, providing both swing and a bit of extra pace.
As doubts began to creep into the minds of the West Indies batsmen, England got the ball rolling with wickets from a couple of loose deliveries.
Firstly, Anderson served up a short ball wide of off-stump, but instead of launching a full-blooded cut shot, Lendl Simmons opted for a cautious steer and simply provided Scott Borthwick, a substitute fielder at backward point, with catching practice.
Borthwick claimed a second easy catch to give Bresnan his first Test wicket when Brendan Nash guided a ball travelling down the leg side to square-leg.
Bresnan's second wicket came in more authentic style when Denesh Ramdin, facing only his second delivery, edged a well pitched-up away-swinger to third slip.
But the best of the bowling, from Anderson, was still to come. Having embarrassed Jerome Taylor with a series of outswingers which the batsman missed, he decided enough was enough and uprooted his off stump with an inswinger.
In this sort of form, none of the lower order were likely to resist Anderson for long and Sulieman Benn frankly did well to last 12 balls, before a superb ball swung through his defences to make a mess of the stumps.
Conveniently it was the last ball before lunch, which came with West Indies 167-8 and Chanderpaul still there on 47.
Tim Bresnan picked up his first wickets in Test cricket
But he only survived 10 balls after the interval as Anderson, maintaining an immaculate line and length outside off stump, found the outside edge and Paul Collingwood - retaining the gloves while Matt Prior recovered from a badly-bruised finger - clung on to the catch.
The end came moments later as Fidel Edwards smacked a boundary off Bresnan but then skied a catch high to the second substitute fielder, Karl Turner. Positioned at fine leg, the youngster made no mistake - and England now go back up a place to fifth in the ICC Test rankings.
Cameo: Chris Gayle celebrates his rapid half-century on day four
Painful: Matt Prior receives treatment on his injured finger
Stand-in: Paul Collingwood deputised for Matt Prior with the gloves
Hostile: Stuart Broad was a real handful
Breakthrough: James Anderson bowls Devon Smith as West Indies reply to England's huge total
Warming up: Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook watch England's batsmen take West Indies to the cleaners
Prize wicket: Paul Collingwood, with the gloves on, celebrates catching Sihv Chanderpaul off James Anderson
Perfection: James Anderson's outswinger to dismiss Sulieman Benn would have done for far more accomplished batsmen
telegraph.co.uk
news.bbc.co.uk