England captain Michael Vaughan said his side had a "psychological edge" over the West Indies after their first Test win at Lord's. Victory left England 1-0 up in the four-Test series ahead of Thursday's second match at Edgbaston. "Going into the game Thursday it's a psychological edge," Vaughan told reporters after England crushed West Indies by 210 runs.
"We know that we just continue on from where we left off while the West Indies have to think about a defeat which is always hard to come back from."
And Vaughan added England would be an even tougher proposition at Edgbaston than at Lord's, where leading fast bowler Stephen Harmison only took two wickets and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff bowled less than 12 overs as he nursed an ankle injury.
"Two days in between is not enough," Vaughan told reporters after Monday's win. "But we have to get on and do it. We're going in full of confidence with a couple of things up our sleeve.
"Andrew Flintoff hasn't bowled much this week and Steve Harmison hasn't picked up too many wickets so I think we go into the Test match at Edgbaston even stronger than we are here."
England's success meant they had beaten West Indies in four out of five Tests this year with one draw following a 3-0 away win concluded in April - their first series victory on Caribbean soil for 36 years.
Vaughan's men followed that up with a 3-0 home whitewash of New Zealand to make it seven wins out of eight Tests in 2004 - England's best run since 1978-79 when Australian media businessman Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket deprived most international sides of their leading players.
However Vaughan, who in the course of this latest match became only the third player in history after West Indies great George Headley in 1939 and former England captain Graham Gooch against India in 1990 to score hundreds in both innings of a Lord's Test, warned against complacency.
"We're obviously delighted to go into the second Test 1-0 up but we must continue to show the same intensity on the pitch starting again on Thursday."
One of the pleasing aspects for England during their recent success has been the way different members of the team have all made vital contributions.
At Lord's recalled Kent batsman Robert Key, only playing because regular number three Mark Butcher was injured, made 221 - his maiden Test hundred.
And in the field left-armer Ashley Giles's match-figures of nine for 210 were the best by an English spinner in a Lord's Test since Derek Underwood took 13-71 against Pakistan 30 years ago.
"Guys who come in like Robert Key are just enjoying the atmosphere," Vaughan explained. "We always tell them to play their natural game but you must put hard the intensity and hard work in.
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