PICTURES: Swann, Bresnan and Root light up as England celebrate retaining Ashes
ENGLAND may have retained the Ashes in a rather anti-climatic fashion but that didn't stop the players from letting their hair down.
After securing a draw to go 2-0 up in the Test series, Alastair Cook's men painted the town red as they partied in Manchester.
Cook, along with Tim Bresnan, Joe Root et al drank in a smart establishment- Australasia bar in the city centre as they celebrated their achievement.
Root, Bresnan and Graeme Swann couldn't stop themselves from lighting a crafty cigarette as they relaxed after five days of toil in the third Test at Old Trafford.
The team were in high spirits although Cook and Kevin Pietersen looked a little worse for wear as the night wore on.
But they can't put their feet up for too long, as the fourth Test rolls around on Friday in Durham.
Team director Andy Flower has insisted that the players want to complete the job by winning the series.
"There are no extravagant celebrations... we want to win the series," he said.
"We are only three matches into a five-match series and are two-nil up, so we want to win at Durham."