But while his left-arm spin was relatively successful, he started the Hundred with scores of 1, 2, 2 and 0, all in defeats. London Spirit were effectively out by the time he made 30 not out, 9 not out and 29 in his final three innings and finished the season seventh, with only Birmingham Phoenix below them.

“I think the price tag obviously gave me a bit more spotlight,” Coles told Cricinfo at the Toyota PCA Awards this month. “I haven’t done as well as I wanted to in the Hundred, with the bat especially.

“With the ball, I think I’ve almost exceeded expectations – I’ve been one of the most effective bowlers at London Spirit – but with the bat, I probably didn’t capitalise on my opportunities. But everyone says you want to do everything that you normally do when you get these things, so I’m not looking into it too much.”

Coles said that his eye-catching salary had followed him around throughout the summer: “Pretty much every interview, that’s what gets talked about – and I copped it [some flak] a bit on the field here and there. It’s just natural… It’s been a great exposure to copping it a bit from the media, and how to deal with it, so it’s been good.”

London Spirit will have the option to retain him at the same salary when the Hundred’s retention window opens on Monday. Their director of cricket Mo Bobat suggested at the end of the tournament that they intend to keep him, but they could alternatively do so by releasing him with a view to buying him back at a lower salary in March’s auction.

“Going into the season, I had a pretty conscious effort in thinking of how I’m going to put my name out there for England selection, and that was through my bowling,” Coles said. “I’m chuffed with how my bowling went this whole year – all formats. I guess I’m ultimately happy, but it would’ve been nice to score some runs.”

On the prospect of travelling to Bangladesh, he added: “My bowling suits the subcontinent quite a lot, but my way to get myself in the mix initially is through playing well in the English summer, so there was a lot more focus on overspin, a bit more mid-crease bowling… and I’ve come to realise the importance of my fielders more, rather than bowling a magic ball to get a wicket.”

He also has franchise contracts with MI Emirates (ILT20) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SA20) this winter, and intends to put himself forward for the IPL auction later this year. But in signing his development contract, which doubles as a commitment to his availability for Lions tours when called upon, Coles has made clear that playing for England is his primary ambition.

“It’s a pretty surreal experience getting the call from Northy,” he said. “I was chuffed, filled with joy. It’s a dream come true. It would’ve been good to get a go, but it’s a ridiculous team to get into at the minute, so I’ll wait my turn… I know what I’ve got to work on this winter. I’m pretty clear on what I want to improve on, and how I’m going to make myself a better player.”