Finn not so much the attack leader
It has been a tricky summer so far for Steven Finn. He was told by Trevor Bayliss to channel his frustrations on being withdrawn from the World T20 through injury - when Finn himself felt he was fit to play - into taking wickets. It hasn't quite worked out that way. After an inconsistent Test series against Sri Lanka, he was talking up being the attack leader in the one-day side. It was a position he assumed last summer, but since last September against Australia he hasn't played an ODI due to his run of injuries. Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, David Willey and Chris Jordan have all played ahead of him in this series, their ability to club a long ball - highlighted by Plunkett's tie-sealing blow at Trent Bridge - giving England enviable batting depth. Finn, who will play for Middlesex in the Championship from Sunday, may now not be certain of his place in the Pakistan Test series once James Anderson and Ben Stokes are available. Those frustrations are likely to bubble up again.
Life without Stokes
Stokes gives England sought-after balance to their side, but they adapted well in his absence. The team's preferred route is to chase a target and their belief is that they can hunt down anything - as was witnessed at The Oval and, in differing circumstances, when they secured a tie at Trent Bridge despite being 82 for 6, chasing 287. So, Eoin Morgan has been content to use a five-man bowling attack; Joe Root is the fill-in option but was lightly used for only three overs in the series. When fit, Stokes will return to the side and that will open up the question of who misses out. Jonny Bairstow has taken the batting role in this series - and has been outstanding in the outfield - but it could be that the philosophy of packing the batting from one to eleven means means that a five-man attack is retained.
Rashid No. 1
Adil Rashid is now cemented as England's main one-day spinner if the pecking order in this series is any guide. When the ground dimensions at Bristol and Cardiff have led England to re-balance their attack with an extra quick bowler, it has been Moeen Ali who has made way for Jordan. Rashid has played every game of white-ball cricket since his England comeback against Ireland, in Dublin, last May. He began this series with two frugal displays at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston - 70 runs come off 20 overs - and though Sri Lanka then took the attack to him he did not shrunk from the challenge. His brace of wickets at The Oval played an important part in ensuring Sri Lanka could not immediately kick on after the rain break. There will also have never been a better No. 11 for England.
Mendis is a gem
Kusal Mendis showed glimpses of his quality in the Test series and his adaptability has been on display in the one-dayers. After a slow start to the series he produced two sparkling half-centuries at Bristol and The Oval, the second of them a particularly eye-catching display as England's bowlers were put under rare pressure, and was settling in nicely in Cardiff before being beaten by Bairstow's bullet arm. Sri Lanka have wanted to give youth its head at the top order; coach Graham Ford is trying to oversee a rebuilding phase in the batting order and Mendis has a key role to play. That he hasn't managed to convert into three figures on the tour will be a disappointment and was a factor among all Sri Lanka's top order in the one-dayers.
Whither Sri Lanka spin
The days of throwing Muttiah Muralitharan the ball for a match-defining 10-over spell are long gone, but even post-Murali there was an expectation to face some probing spin when playing Sri Lanka. However, now that Rangana Herath has ended his one-day career, and Sachithra Senanayake has drifted out of the scene having struggled to adapt to a remodelled action, the resources are looking thin. There is hope that legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who showed promise at the World T20 but was injured for this tour, could be part of the answer but it is asking a lot of him. In defence of the incumbents the pitches in this series have offered them precious little and a return to home soil may revive confidence. But, still, the numbers are not pretty from this contest. Seekkuge Prasanna finished with 1 for 234 and an economy rate of 6.62 and Suraj Randiv was shelved after one match where he went for 62 off eight overs. That Sri Lanka's leading spinner in the series was part-timer Danushka Gunathilaka with four wickets says a lot.