Cork gets Walsh lbw to end the series Photo © CricInfo Colin Croft and Jack Bannister - what the result means for cricket

At exactly 4:15pm BST on Monday the 4th September, 31 years of cricketing history were swept away when Courtney Walsh, the last West Indian batsman, was adjudged LBW to Dominic Cork for 0, the West Indies were all out for 215, losing the Fifth and final Test match to England by 158 runs.

Whatever excuses West Indies supporters could conjure up in their minds to hide behind, there must be one massive thought in the heads of all. The better team on the day, on the week, even for the months of June, July, August and September 2000, had won the series 3-1. England were far and away the better team.

At the start of this tour, I suggested that the West Indies would win the series 3-1. Unfortunately for me and for many who have played cricket in the last 31 years against England, wishful thinking is not enough to cover the evident inefficiencies of the present West Indies cricket team. The best I can say that there were very miniscule improvements in the performances of this team over the last three overseas tours when the West Indies lost 3-0 to Pakistan, 5-0 to South Africa and 2-0 to New Zealand.

There were some positives, like the West Indies winning the First Test at Edgbaston. However, "the race is not for the swiftest but for the one who will endure to the end." Perhaps the West Indies could have borne this in mind way back in June. England came back with a bang at Lord's, and that momentum never waned until Monday. Only then did Nasser Hussain, his team-mates and friends, know that the West Indies were beaten and the job done.

According to Hussain, the West Indies only have three world class players in Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Brian Lara. One, Curtly Ambrose, is finished with Test cricket. After 98 Tests and 405 wickets, there is not much more we can say about "Amby." Courtney Walsh, will probably soldier on to 500 Test wickets, but will not help the future by his presence.

Like "Amby", "Cuddy" has served us well, for 122 Test matches and 483 wickets. These two will certainly leave a hole, but it must be filled. Brian Lara is still good enough to play Test cricket, but most would agree that his apex of performances may have already been reached. However, he could lend some stability to the team, and to the youth.

Ramnaresh Sarwan is a very good batting prospect, showed great courage and adapted well. Unless he is spoiled by the foolish machismo that seems to permeate from the younger members of the team, Sarwan will do well. I believe that he must now become singular, even selfish. Like Alvin Kallicharran, Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes and other successful predecessors. Play for his own survival, making hundreds for himself.

Wavell Hinds is lbw to Caddick Photo © CricInfo

If Sarwan was a positive, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds and Adrian Griffith were negatives. None of them seemed to grasp the plan. Hinds got some bad decisions, but the technique, or lack thereof, of all three was found out. Swiping to get out of trouble, as is done at Busta Cup level in the Caribbean, or at county level in England, does not work in Test cricket. Unless all three, especially Griffith, start over, they will be lost forever.

The foolish machismo that I talked about is evident here. As one West Indian supporter, who had travelled all the way from Suriname, asked me; "Since when did Chris Gayle become a star? He does not even want to acknowledge his kin-folk and supporters. What has he done in Test cricket?"

Sherwin Campbell, Jimmy Adams and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, if he returns fit and ready, could form part of a good batting line-up. Adams must have learned much on his first overseas tour as captain, but I also suggest that he will not get any real support from his cricketers unless he toughens up a bit. The "softly, softly" attitude has not worked, so something else has to be done.

Sherwin Campbell again showed that he can be consistent while not being spectacular. He will have to convert more fair starts to massive scores. Only Chanderpaul can tell us when, if at all, he can be useful to the team again. Cricket requires full commitment from both mind and body.

Jimmy Adams rightly points out that while we all have been suggesting that the back-up bowlers have not been doing their work well, he was more worried that the team's batsmen had let them down so badly. While England did not score very heavily throughout the series, they scored consistently. No team, even when the had made 398 and 438 on two separate occasions, deserve to win any series when that same team makes 54, 61 and 125.

Nixon McLean stops Atherton's return ball Photo © CricInfo

Nixon McLean was another of the few "bright lights" on this tour. He is a very hard worker. I like that and I like him - he could be good for the immediate future. He showed in the final Test that he is good enough. Reon King was a disappointment, losing both fitness and confidence. He will have to be tougher and more aggressive if he is going to make any impression on the Australians in a few months' time.

Franklyn Rose was another story. I would let him miss a tour, just to make him realize that he is not "God's gift to this world!" He carries himself as if he has achieved so much, and he has achieved very little. He sulks when he is criticized, yet averaged about 60 runs per wicket in England. Worse, he gave the impression that it did not bother him whether the team won or lost.

Ridley Jacobs did OK, especially with his wicket-keeping, and his batting seems to be coming back. But the selectors would be advised to start looking for one, perhaps two future wicket-keepers soon.

Overall, the West Indies were outplayed by an England team who wanted to win more. The West Indies have to regroup, rebuild, and come again in history!

© CricInfo Ltd