Champagne sprayed over England's celebrating cricketers yesterday after an historic and emotional final Test victory at The Oval to end three decades of despair and disappointment against the West Indies.

The 158-run triumph completed their first series victory over the Windies since 1969 and enabled Nasser Hussain to become the first England captain since Raymond Illingworth to lift the Wisden Trophy aloft to a jubilant crowd below the dressing room balcony.

It ended 13 successive series without success against the West Indies and almost made amends for the suffering during the 1970s and 1980s when England waited 16 years just to taste a Test victory over their awesome opponents.

Hussain and Co completed the 3-1 success just 12 minutes after tea on the final day when Dominic Cork trapped Courtney Walsh lbw and signalled mass celebrations from the biggest final-day crowd since the 1991 Test here against West Indies.

More than 5,000 people were locked out of the ground in anticipation of a famous triumph.

England's victory, coupled with the 1-0 triumph over Zimbabwe earlier in the summer, lifted them to the heady heights of sixth in the unofficial Test rankings just a year after slipping to bottom place with their defeat against New Zealand.

The outcome of the Test or the series was never really in doubt with West Indies beginning the final day 340 adrift on 33 without loss. But with Brian Lara waiting impatiently in the wings England could not afford any complacency.

The West Indies' previous best score to win a Test was 348 for five against New Zealand in Auckland just months before their last series defeat against England and from a team which has been dismissed for less than 200 four times this summer it would have taken an incredible reversal of fortune.

Any hopes of clinching one of the most astonishing Test successes in history were quickly ended by the loss of both openers early, Sherwin Campbell edging Darren Gough to Graeme Hick at second slip a ball after being dropped by Hick.

Adrian Griffith fell in the next over, edging Andrew Caddick low to wicketkeeper Alec Stewart to set up the big contest of the day England's collective will against Lara's genius.

He took his time to get off the mark nine deliveries before pushing Gough for a single and remained watchful until just before lunch when he could resist his attacking instincts no longer and pulled Dominic Cork for his first boundary.

Even the loss of his captain Jimmy Adams, caught brilliantly by Craig White diving at backward square leg, did not restrict Lara's strokeplay and he signalled his intentions to become a major obstacle to overcome with a magnificent square-cut in the next over.

Ramnaresh Sarwan demonstrated just why he is valued so highly with a stunning range of shots to score 27 from 31 balls and dominate a 46-run partnership with Lara spanning only 52 deliveries.

His dismissal, run out by Graham Thorpe at the non-striker's end after being sent back for a quick single by Lara, virtually ended West Indies' hopes of at least salvaging some pride from their disappointing summer by securing a draw.

Lara followed in the next over, his disciplined 165 minutes at the crease cruelly ended by umpire David Shepherd's poor decision to adjudge him lbw when Gough's third delivery of a new spell clearly pitched outside leg stump.

Gough also secured Mahendra Nagamootoo's wicket, prompting an emotional last march out to the crease for Curtly Ambrose on his final Test appearance.

England's fielders stood to form a guard of honour as he made his way to the crease. He stuck around for 11 overs, adding 48 with Nixon McLean and taking the match beyond the tea interval but Cork ended his defiance by inducing an edge to Michael Atherton at slip.

That brought Walsh out of the dressing room with his cricketing future still undecided but did not affect the warmth of the ovation the crowd and England's players affording him the same greeting they had reserved for Ambrose.

Unlike his new-ball partner, though, Walsh did not hold up the victory celebrations long. Cork struck two balls later to begin a scurry to the dressing room before the jubilant crowd could catch the buoyant players