England’s celebrations were delayed but yesterday, the fourth evening at Chester-le-Street, they were finally able to cheer both Alastair Cook’s 10,000th run and series victory.

Dinesh Chandimal’s 126 led the Sri Lanka resistance which left England needing to bat again after all to complete a nine-wicket, rather than innings, win and take the series 2-0.

It was a comforting and historic by-product that Cook — after falling short at Headingley last week and then again in the first innings here — could take an unexpected opportunity to reach five figures as England knocked off the 79 runs required.