Amateur cricketers all over the country have recently been forced to put their bags back in the attic for another long winter of appreciating weekends which don't include batting collapses.
Their professional counterparts will be unable to switch off the mind quite so easily, but the time to relax has finally arrived after another gruelling season.
Below, Sports Mole looks back on the lessons we learned from the English domestic season.
1. Adam Lyth will be the next cab off the rank for England
Nick Compton, Joe Root, Michael Carberry and Sam Robson have all tried, but none has been able to fill the void left at the top of England's order by Andrew Strauss. If the 2014 season was anything to go by, the next player asked to partner Alastair Cook in Test cricket is likely to be Adam Lyth.
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It was a fantastic summer for Lyth, who was consistently superb in Yorkshire's title-winning campaign in County Championship's Division One. The 27-year-old has been around for a while, but he has taken a huge step forward with his performances for Yorkshire in recent months. He scored 1,489 runs in the longest format of the domestic game, recording six centuries in the process, and he is surely in pole position for his first England cap when Cook's men return to Test cricket in the West Indies next April.
2. Yorkshire will be firm favourites next year
As previously mentioned, Lyth's form was crucial in making sure the title returned to Headingley this year, but the worry for their rivals will be that there seems to be a lot more to come from Yorkshire. In the end, it was an emphatic triumph from Jason Gillespie's side in Division One as they lost just once on their way to becoming champions. The big challenge will be to repeat that achievement, but there is no reason they can't produce similar form next season.
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If Lyth does break into the England squad, he could be missing for long periods, but Yorkshire supporters will have no need to panic. Throughout the year, it was clear that he was just one star player in a squad littered with superb talent. Alongside him at the top of the order was Alex Lees, who at 21 will certainly feel that international cricket will be a part of his future. Jack Brooks and Liam Plunkett combined with the veteran Ryan Sidebottom brilliantly to lead the bowling attack, while all-rounder Adil Rashid is beginning to deliver on his undoubted potential. With the likes of Joe Root and Gary Ballance also providing their services when not with England, very few will back against Yorkshire from succeeding again next year.
3. James Vince could be England's next star
If you've not yet had the pleasure of watching a James Vince innings, what have you been doing all year? The Hampshire batsman is maturing every time he walks out to the crease, and has managed to impress everyone with the incredible weight of runs he scores for his side. Vince finished the County Championship season with an average above 60 thanks to four hundreds and seven half-centuries in red ball cricket. It's difficult to think of a better knock this year than the 240 he scored off just 222 balls against Essex's helpless bowlers in June.
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In truth, it's quite amazing that the 23-year-old has not yet made an appearance for England. Not only is he pushing for a spot in the Test squad, but he has also shown the ability to thrive in limited-overs cricket over the past couple of seasons. If he can continue to develop at such a quick rate, a big future on the international stage will surely follow.
4. England have a lot of options
It's been a long, long year for England. Questions over Cook's status as captain remain, and no-one appears to be confident that a Test series triumph over India was a turning point. There were at least some signs of improvement in the longest format, while their frailties in limited-overs cricket will certainly come under the microscope once again this winter.
However, England supporters should be optimistic. Hold on, I know you've heard this all before and maybe we all need to limit our expectations for the foreseeable future, but there is plenty to be excited about in the English game. A few of the players mentioned above are likely to play a big role in the future for England, and this season has once again proved that the current crop of young players are a promising bunch.
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James Taylor is set to be given another chance to impress in an England shirt when the squad tours Sri Lanka next month as preparation for next year's World Cup, while the likes of Moeen Ali and Gary Ballance have proved that there is undoubted quality in the new-look Test side. Chris Woakes is improving with every game, Liam Plunkett has transformed into a new man, and Ben Stokes displayed at the back end of the season with Durham that he can put his dreadful international form behind him.
The big test for the England selectors is whether they are brave enough to put their faith in these players, and others who have regularly produced their best in domestic cricket. Change is imperative if England are going to achieve success again soon.
Callum Mulvihill
