Yorkshire duo Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were unanimous in their verdict on England's once-in-lifetime World Cup win, with both men convinced they have just played in the greatest game of all time.
That they would wake up on Monday morning as world champions was in itself no major surprise – it has been the driving ambition of the England and Wales Cricket Board for the past four years and they had home-soil advantage and world number-one status in their favour.
But the circumstances of their victory over New Zealand have instantly entered British sporting folklore. Not only was the World Cup final tied for the first time in its 44-year history, but England got there courtesy of two moments of outrageous good fortune.
"As a team we talk of leaving the game in a better place when we finish and taking it forward all the time," said Root.
"I feel like the way we've gone about things has hopefully done that and given an opportunity for the next generation to see what we've achieved and want to go on and emulate it.
"I was 14 years old when I watched that 2005 Ashes series and it was hugely inspiring for me. Hopefully we can do something similar for the next generation now.
"The Ashes will be massive, especially on the back of this. It will make it even bigger."
