Strauss dejected but proud

England captain Andrew Strauss and his team did all they could do pull off a series-saving victory over West Indies on Tuesday but had to watch as the Wisden Trophy was handed to their rivals for the first time in 11 years.

"I'm pretty dejected really, more than anything because of the way we played today which was outstanding," Strauss said.

"Kevin Pietersen put on an incredible partnership with Matt Prior which gave us the opportunity to get more overs at them than we might have possibly thought at the start of the day.

"Then to get them eight down on a very flat wicket was an outstanding effort from our bowlers, who were tired at the end of a long series. I am very proud of the way the team played today, just dejected that we were not able to force a result."

The 1-0 defeat in the series came down to a batting collapse for 51 that resulted in an innings and 23 run defeat in the first Test in Jamaica.

"That has ultimately cost us the series. That was a freaky situation where we played badly. We weren't switched on, we got put under pressure and didn't handle it properly," said Strauss.

"We have to understand it is in those small margins in which Test matches are won and lost in, and series are won and lost.

"We can't afford to be on the receiving end of those sessions," he said, referring to the spell when Jerome Taylor ripped through England's batting to dismiss them for 51.

But Strauss saw the way his team responded to that and the stinging criticism the defeat prompted -- as the main positive of the tour even if every test that followed ended in a draw.

"We were very low as a team in Jamaica, understandably after what happened. The guys were low after that and we played some very good cricket for three test matches.

"The fact we were not able to force a result for any of them is disappointing but I can't fault the effort and we have learned a lot on this tour in terms of bowling on flat wickets and as a batting unit compiling big scores again, which is something we've not done for a while."

Strauss also felt that the wickets for the final three Test matches in Antigua, Barbados and Trinidad had made it tough for his team to level the series.

"The flatness of the wickets meant neither team was able to force the issue in those final three test matches.

"When you are 1-0 down in the series you want result wickets and we had three that forcing a result on was always going to be very difficult."