Their nine-week tour of South Africa, which encompassed the Under-19 World Cup, was marked by an ability to rise to the big occasion.

The three highlights - defeats of Pakistan, Australia and, in the final, of New Zealand - came in the highest profile fixtures.

The only disappointment will have been that in winning the first Under-19 World Cup to be held since 1988, they did not beat South Africa, who, apart from Australia, looked to be the best all-round limited-overs side.

The host nation, who lost unexpectedly to Sri Lanka in their final group game, felt that they would have had the beating of England.

The results of the two one-day games between England and South Africa at the start of January supported that view but the improvement in England's performance during the latter stages of the World Cup was considerable.

There has been an arrogance and swagger about some of the England players on the tour, which, until the marvellous victory over Australia in the group stages, they had not been able to justify.

Only when defeat loomed large in the two four-day Tests against South Africa and in their three biggest World Cup games did the England players perform anywhere near to their full potential.

Typically, Owais Shah, the highly rated England captain, passed 50 only once in the World Cup, but at least it came in the final.

The players must learn important lessons from this tour and, as the coach John Abrahams puts it, not allow the World Cup victory to ``paper over the cracks'' of the early games.

On the plus side, the batting of Stephen Peters, against Pakistan, Australia and particularly New Zealand, was exceptional from a technical and temperamental point of view. Not to offer a chance in a limited-overs innings of that length, as was the case in his final-winning century, is some achievement.

The off-spin of Graeme Swann, of Northamptonshire, has been a joy to watch and he, along with Peters, ought to have a great future in the game.

Sixteen nations, including Scotland, Ireland, Denmark and Papua New Guinea, took part in the tournament, which was an undoubted success, offering players, even those with first-class and senior international caps, a unique experience.