A JUBILANT Michael Vaughan last night claimed that England's "ruthlessness" had enabled them to rack up their third biggest Test victory of all time against a shell-shocked West Indies.

This weekend's innings-and-283-run victory would have been completed inside three days had rain not wrecked an entire day's play on Saturday, and it is hard to imagine a more convincing success than the one Vaughan's side enjoyed against a West Indian outfit that must be eyeing next week's third Test at Old Trafford with a mixture of trepidation and dread.

Double-centurion Kevin Pietersen and returning seamer Ryan Sidebottom were the heroes, but Vaughan felt that each and every England player displayed a determination and resolve that was lacking during the winter's ill-fated tour of Australia.

"I thought we played to a very good standard," said the skipper, who has now equalled Peter May's record of 20 Test victories as England captain. "We got on top of the West Indies very early on that first day and didn't let our grip loosen until we finished. We were ruthless and we got the job done.

"It was a good toss to win and we made the most of it with a good total. We used the conditions well when the clouds came over and even though it was harder (yesterday), we still managed to get the job done. We're very pleased with our performance."

Sidebottom finished with match figures of 8-86 after removing both Devon Smith and Sylvester Joseph yesterday and, after a six-year international hiatus, Vaughan was quick to praise the 29-year-old's efforts in only his second Test appearance.

"Ryan was exceptional from his very first ball," he said. "He offered us great angles, and he certainly didn't swing it as much as that when he was at Yorkshire a few years ago. I don't know what they've been doing with him at Notts, but it's great for him to have come in and done so well.

"I'm sure he would be the first to admit that we got conditions that suited his style of bowling, but you've still got to produce the goods and he did it to a very high standard.

"Pace is great, but you can't really beat the old workhorse who puts it there or thereabouts every delivery. You can set fields to it and it allows you to dictate the game. When you're putting the ball in the right area, you can always set fields to prevent the opposition from scoring."

Vaughan also highlighted Steve Harmison's performance in the West Indian second innings. The Durham paceman had looked out of sorts in the tourists' first innings, but he returned to claim three of the final four wickets to fall with a spell of menacing pace bowling.

"I thought we saw Steve Harmison back to what we know he can be," said the skipper. "And that's someone who bowls 90mph, gets bounce off a good length, and puts the batsman under a lot of pressure when the wicket isn't swinging.

"Hopefully, that spell down the hill will be the tonic that gives him confidence going into the next game at Old Trafford.

"Steve has openly admitted that he hasn't had the best six months. I think that one spell this afternoon will be a sign of what's to come."