Memo England: If the spirit is so important then drink some

England deserve massive credit for their Ashes efforts, but some of their conduct on the final day of the series was bewildering. Robert Craddock runs through one of the great modern series.

The spirit of cricket is not a part-time thing … you either buy it or you don’t.

England deserve massive credit for their efforts in the Ashes but some of their conduct on the final day of the series was bewildering.

Their effort to somehow avoid having a drink with the Australians after the series was most unfortunate because these two teams had put on one of the greatest cricket shows the game has seen this century.

Over the years there’s been fallouts and feuds much greater than anything seen in this series but, from Bradman to Border and Compton to Gooch, the tour hosts generally always share a beer with the opposition as a sign of respect to their opponents and the game in general.

For crying out loud, England won the last Test. What did they seriously have to be aggrieved about?

They even had a bit of good fortune with an ageing, lifeless cricket ball being replaced by one so lively some players thought they heard it ticking inside because it was actually a hand grenade.

If England truly are the moral custodians of the game as they claim they should have carried on the important end of series drinks tradition.

Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins pose with the Ashes trophy following day five of the fifth Test at The Oval. Picture: Getty Images

Earlier in the day there was another confusing moment when England captain Ben Stokes asked for a review of a gloved catch off Steve Smith which Stokes clearly seemed to think had fallen from his grasp before he controlled it and, as a consequence, was always going to be given not out.

The drink snub is further proof of how the Jonny Bairstow stumping changed everything.

Australia may look back in time and ask themselves was one random dismissal really worth the hassle?

The answer appears to be no.

Not because it may have cost Australia some friendly beers but because the instant Bairstow was controversially stumped by Alex Carey in the second Test at Lord’s it was as if someone had lit a flame under England and Bairstow.

After two muddling Test matches where England looked underprepared and picking the wrong players they roared to life for the last three galvanized by the patriotic fervor of an aggrieved nation.

And Carey, who started the summer so brilliantly, has been in slight decline ever since.

Originally published as Memo England: If the spirit is so important then drink some