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England upbeat after breakthrough win

Victory is sweet for England's cricketers as UK press praise Alastair Cook's side

What a difference a win makes.

There is an air of positivity around England's cricket team ahead of the Ashes later this year as they bask in the afterglow of their victory in the second Test against West Indies, their first away from home in two-and-a-half years.

England's win on a flat surface in Grenada, which seemed highly unlikely at the start of the final day, has been rightly celebrated by a playing group that had been under intense scrutiny since their shock World Cup exit in March.

The issue of Kevin Pietersen remains a talking point, as does the vacancy left by the recent departure of the ECB's Managing Director Paul Downton, but England are in a positive mood ahead of the final Test against the Windies, which begins on Friday in Barbados.

Fast-bowler Jimmy Anderson, who broke Sir Ian Botham's England wicket-taking record in the first Test before his final-day heroics spurred his side to victory in Grenada, says Saturday's win was a reward for hard work.

"It has been an incredible two weeks — almost certainly the most emotional and satisfying of my career," Anderson wrote in The Sun.

"The lads had a cracking night on Saturday, there was a lot of joy and emotion flying around. We had worked damn hard for ten days and eventually gained our reward.

"We knew if we kept applying pressure we’d get a sniff at some stage. We just had to keep believing.

"We are all delighted for Cooky and (coach) Peter Moores, too. A new Director of England Cricket is to be appointed and there is obviously some uncertainty.

"Although things are going on in the background, it’s crucial that we perform on the field."

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Anderson celebrates a wicket in Grenada // Getty Images

Coach Moores, whose position has been under scrutiny since England missed out the quarter-finals at the World Cup, also spoke to the "euphoria" he felt after the victory.

"It was a great win and a great feeling," he said.

"In many ways it felt like a reward for all the hard work that you've seen going on by the players and the coaches, everybody.

"It all comes through and you can feel the euphoria of the win, especially when it wasn't expected as much and we knew it would be very tough on that pitch.

"It is a great release. It was fantastic, and it was great to see everybody enjoying themselves. We came back to the hotel, there were lots of fans there and it was great.

"It is a big series because we've had a tough winter of one-day cricket, so to try and to get people thinking positively about English cricket is key."

There was also praise from the UK media, with former captain Michael Vaughan now seemingly far more optimistic of England's chances this northern summer against New Zealand and Australia.

While still unsure about the future of Jonathan Trott as an opener, Vaughan said the return to form of Cook in Grenada was one of several positives to come out of the match.

The skipper was unable to break his two-year drought without a Test century, but showed signs of returning to his best with scores of 76 and 59 not out at the top of the order.

Vaughan says Cook's strength as a captain comes when he leads the way with bat in hand.

"England’s Ashes jigsaw is closer to completion after a remarkable win in Grenada," Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph.

"There were a few missing pieces until this week but I think the performance has left a clearer idea of the how the team are shaping up as their build for the Ashes in July.

"I know he [Cook] has gone two years without a hundred but I now think for the first time in a long time that we are going to get consistent scores from him going forward.

"He also once again proved that he captains at his best when he is leading from the front with the bat.

"England have won four out of their past five Tests and Cook has scored runs in those wins, showing just how important his form is for the team."

Concern remains about Trott at the top of the order - Yorkshire opener Adam Lyth is also in the squad, while Alex Hales has started the county season with scores of 236 and 136 not out for Nottinghamshire - but the rest of England's batting line-up appears settled ahead of the first Ashes Test in Cardiff on July 8.

Gary Ballance, Ian Bell and Joe Root have all posted centuries in this series, while allrounders Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali also seem to be long-term options.

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Root is being spoken about as a future England captain // Getty Images

Strong praise has come for Root, whose 182 not out in Grenada was his ninth score of 50 or more from 14 innings since he was dropped for the final Test of the 2013-14 Ashes campaign.

The 24-year-old has averaged 110 since that Test in Sydney, including unbeaten scores of 200, 154, 149 and 182, and has firmed as one of the men most likely to be England's next long-term captain when Cook calls time on his career.

"Part of me sees Root as a natural No 3, where England tried him in Australia," former captain Nasser Hussain wrote in The Daily Mail.

"He looks like a batsman who could come in and regain the initiative if you lose an early wicket.

"But why move him when he is going so well at five? Keep him there. Eventually he will captain England and five is a good place to captain from.

"The only problem in seeing him as a future England captain is that do we want to put our best player in charge when his runs are so important?

"Look at Alastair Cook and just about every England captain in history. It wears them all down in the end and when the day eventually comes that England need a new leader they will have to think about that."