Victory sweet for buoyant England

Victory has been sweet for England’s cricket team, which has been inundated with praise from former players and the UK press after their first Test victory over New Zealand.

The 124-run win at Lord’s, under the guidance of stand-in coach Paul Farbrace, appeared to bring back an air of positivity to England cricket after the sacking of former coach Peter Moores and the controversy surrounding Kevin Pietersen.

Quick single: Stokes inspires England to victory

Former England captain Nasser Hussain led the chorus of support for the current skipper, who had been written off by many in the media for much of the past 12 months.

"That was a magnificent hundred from Alastair Cook. It’s as well as I’ve seen him play," Hussain wrote in The Daily Mail.

“No-one should ever have doubted his batting ability: he’s a phenomenal player. But where things got a bit blurred with Cook’s role in the side has been his captaincy.

“You wouldn’t claim his leadership skills are up there with his batting. He’s a decent captain – no more than that. He’s not a Brendon McCullum or a Michael Clarke, and he should never try to be.”

Image Id: ~/media/CF90BFA57BAF496E84B1D80A4CE80A3DAlastair Cook acknowledges his century // Getty Images

The superlatives continued for allrounder and man of the match Ben Stokes, a man who has quickly been cast in the role of saviour.

“(Ben Stokes) is the kind of cricketer we’ve been crying out for,” Hussain continued. “Even during the successful years, England could be a bit bland at times. There’s no danger of that with Stokes.”

Quick single: Cook hails Stokes after England win

Commentator and former batsman David Lloyd declared England had turned a corner after the result, which followed a 1-1 drawn series against the West Indies in the Caribbean and their disappointing World Cup campaign.

“This England team have come alive from the absolute wreckage of the last 18 months,” Lloyd wrote in The Daily Mail. “It’s there for all to see. The affection they have for the captain. The way that these young players have been given their head and gelled very quickly. It’s been a joy to watch and make no mistake Paul Farbrace has been key to it.

“To perform as he has done at Lord’s after announcing himself against Australia in Australia marks Ben Stokes as a real star.”

Image Id: ~/media/8CD17807C16948EEAF5F10F3B64BE3C0There's been plenty of praise for Ben Stokes and Alastair Cook // Getty Images

Champion allrounder Sir Ian Botham was another excited by Stokes’ performance and potential.

“Ben Stokes’ performance was a ‘where were you when’ display that people will be talking about for years to come and I’m delighted I’ll be able to say I was there,” Botham wrote in the Mirror.

“He is an entertainer and a free spirit, long may that continue because he has the potential to be a superstar and a genuine world class allrounder.

“The way that he goes about the game together with the talent he has, makes for an exciting combination and I think we are all going to enjoy watching him develop over the years.”

England great Geoff Boycott curbed his regular criticism of the captain and joined the praise for Cook, Stokes and Joe Root, writing in The Telegraph that Stokes “played in a manner we have not seen since Ian Botham”.

“Alastair Cook gave a masterful performance on the Saturday evening. He is back to his best (and) Joe Root is in the best form of his life."

Quick single: McCullum upbeat despite Lord's defeat

But Boycott said Ian Bell’s form – which has seen the batsman score 42 runs in his last six Test innings – remained a cause for concern, as did England’s need for a quality spinner.

“Ian Bell is in the opposite frame of mind. He does not know where the next run is coming from.

“His brain was so scrambled when he came out for the second innings on Saturday night he attacked the bowlers when the ball was moving around.

“We really do need to find a quality spinner. Moeen Ali is doing okay but let’s be blunt – he is a batsman who bowls.”

UK experts have also praised England’s decision to appoint Trevor Bayliss as their new coach, with the NSW Blues and Sydney Sixers mentor expected to be officially appointed in the coming days.

“I won’t pretend I didn’t fancy Jason Gillespie for the England coaching job, but there’s no doubting the CV of Trevor Bayliss,” Hussain continued.

“And it’s another reminder, after the Kevin Pietersen decision, that Andrew Strauss is not going to take the populist route – which Gillespie would have been.

“The coach of England has to have an outstanding track record. Time will tell if Bayliss is the right man but, from that perspective at least, he can’t be questioned.”

Image Id: ~/media/408019EDA75A4A9B84AD7D82FA936BC1Bayliss could be trading NSW for England // Getty Images

Lloyd also backed the decision, saying Bayliss was a coach England could trust.

“He is a solid, old-school coach who did a remarkable job with Sri Lanka,” Lloyd wrote in The Daily Mail.

Quick single: Dizzy backs Bayliss for England 

Another ex-England captain, Alec Stewart, was impressed with Bayliss’s CV.

“Trevor Bayliss hasn’t just suddenly appeared,” Stewart told BBC’s Test Match Special. “He has got a good track record behind him – he coached Sri Lanka to the World Cup final.

“But he hasn’t got a lot of international playing experience – he didn’t play for Australia.

“Gillespie appeared to be the favourite, but Andrew Strauss said he would do a thorough job and then make a decision. And that’s what his role is.”