Lampard put a new-look 4-3-3 England ahead with a seventh minute penalty and Bent doubled the lead in the 15th minute as the 100th international between the two old rivals went England's way for the 65th time.
"I decided after watching the games Wales played," England coach Fabio Capello told Sky Sports.
"There were new positions for Rooney and Ashley Young - when we were defending they stayed wide. The formation is really good but I don't know if the next game I'll play the same style - it depends on the opponent."
The defeat in Wales manager Gary Speed's first competitive match in charge all but ended any lingering hopes Wales had of reaching next year's finals in Ukraine and Poland as they have now lost all four of their qualifiers.
The eagerly-awaited match was virtually over as a contest after an opening 15 minutes in which England silenced the home crowd, who had given their team a rousing rendition of the Welsh national anthem after roundly booing England's.
England goalkeeper Joe Hart was nothing more than an observer as England's new-look midfield of teenager Jack Wilshere, Lampard and Scott Parker took a grip of the game with Ashley Young and the over-lapping Ashley Cole punishing Wales on the flanks.
"It was a new formation for us but people knew what they were doing and it worked," man-of-the-match Young said.
"We worked on getting the ball back as soon as we lost it and putting them under pressure straight away."
Wales, being led by 20-year-old skipper Aaron Ramsey for the first time, were pressed back deep in their own half for long periods and buckled under England's early pressure.
"We had a bit of a slow start," Ramsey said.
"This is a step to becoming a very successful team and I think we showed glimpses of what we can do today. It was a great occasion for me. We'll bounce back from this, i
