One year ago to the day, England's cricketers were slumping to an innings and 215 runs defeat in Sri Lanka that condemned them to a 1-0 reverse in the three-Test series.

Twelve months on, and Michael Vaughan's men have made history by becoming the first England side to win eight Tests in a row.

Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson looks at how such a remarkable turn-around has been achieved.

1. More attacking philosophy

Last year's Sri Lankan tour marked one of the rare low points in Michael Vaughan's captaincy, and the skipper has subsequently admitted that he was far too defensive in all three Tests.

A policy of containment backfired so, when England toured the West Indies in March, Vaughan decided to seize the initiative from the off. Steve Harmison was ordered to bowl as fast as he could, and Andrew Flintoff was instructed to go for his shots at every opportunity. The result was the series whitewash that started England's golden year.

2. The benefits of a

winning mentality

Chasing targets used to be England's Achilles heel but, in five of their eight back to back wins, Vaughan's side have come up trumps despite batting last. Whereas previous England sides struggled to cope with the mental side of the game, the current crop of players walk onto the field expecting to win.

It would have been easy for England to have collapsed after their middle order was skittled out earlier this week but, instead, the tail wagged to provide 72 priceless runs. Similarly, Marcus Trescothick's first-ball dismissal second time around failed to cause the kind of panic that would have ensued in the past.

3. An improvement in fielding

Catches, so the saying goes, win matches - and England are suddenly holding on to the ones that count. While their fielding in Sri Lanka was uncharacteristically sloppy, England's players have excelled in their last eight outings.

Flintoff and Trescothick have taken catch after catch in the slips, while Geraint Jones has come on in leaps and bounds behind the stumps.

As if to prove the point, the magnificent return catch which Matthew Hoggard snapped up off AB de Villiers proved the defining moment of this week's win.

4. The renaissance of

Steve Harmison

While Harmison might have taken just one wicket against South Africa, his single-handed demolition of the West Indies will live long in the memory.

By taking 7-12 in Kingston - the spiritual home of fast bowling - Harmison finally silenced those who questioned whether he would ever succeed at the highest level. The Ashington Express missed the tour of Sri Lanka through injury but, after extensive fitness work last winter, he can now bowl safe in the knowledge that his back and knees will hold up. Ask any opposition batsmen who they most fear in the England ranks and you will only get one answer. Such is his current reputation, Harmison has won the psychological battle before he even takes to the field.

5. Ashley Giles' switch from safety valve to match-winner

Sri Lanka's dustbowls should have been manna from heaven for Giles but, instead, the Warwickshire off-spinner returned to England having conceded 539 runs and with his Test future in doubt.

Far too often, Vaughan had turned to Giles as the easy option, asking him to stem the flow of runs at one end while England probed for wickets at the other.

The captain could have pursued the same policy this summer but, instead, Giles was given license to give the ball some air and go on the attack himself. His five-wicket haul ended the West Indies' second-innings resistance in the first Test, while his nine-wicket match haul helped England win the following Test by 210 runs.

6. Flintoff's all-round quality bringing better balance

The current Australian side might be an exception, but it is generally agreed that the best Test sides all contain a world-class all-rounder.

England have been searching for such a player since Ian Botham called it a day but, in Flintoff, they have finally found a worthy successor to Beefy's crown. His batting has dug England out of countless holes, and his ability to score runs quickly is a major benefit to a tail that has improved markedly over the last 12 months. Flintoff's bowling has also proved particularly valuable this year, taking some of the heat off England's other pacemen and breaking partnerships at a crucial time.

7. Discovery of Andrew Strauss

If it wasn't for an injury to Vaughan, England would probably never have tried Strauss in the opening Test of the summer.

As it was, the Middlesex opener scored a superb century in the first innings of his debut, and would have followed suit in the second had he not been run out by Nasser Hussain. Hussain wasn't all bad though, as his subsequent retirement from Test cricket enabled Strauss to command his own slot in the side. This week's 126 was his third ton in eight Tests and Strauss can still boast a 100 per cent record in England's Test side.