Cricket: Windies simply blown away; CRICKET: Second Test wrapped up in style at Headingley.

Byline: By Richard Gibson

ENGLAND captain Michael Vaughan enjoyed a winning homecoming as West Indies suffered a record defeat at Headingley.

Vaughan celebrated his return from an 18-month Test exile with an inningsand-283-run victory at his county headquarters as England opened up a 1-0 lead in the npower series.

The 32-year-old is now equal with Peter May as the most successful England Test captain in history, having won 20 of his 34 matches in charge.

Only 33.1 overs were required on a filthy grey fourth day to send the beleaguered Windies from their overnight 22 for two to 141 all out - and the biggest deficit of defeat in their proud history.

Wickets fell in each of the four passages of play separated by regular showers, with Nottinghamshire Ryan Sidebottom finishing with eight wickets on his old ground.

The overcast conditions and absence of both Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul from the tourists' middle-order hurried England to their first success in seven Test outings.

It was a result set up in contrasting conditions by Kevin Pietersen's maiden double hundred in Tests and Vaughan's comeback 103 in a total of 570 for seven declared.

West Indies' previous heaviest defeat, after being asked to bat again, came 50 years ago when they lost to England by an innings and 237 runs at the Oval.

When Ryan Sidebottom's prolific return to the Test scene continued between the showers this afternoon, they appeared destined to surpass that low.

Nottinghamshire seamer Sidebottom struck twice in the 22 minutes possible immediately after lunch to leave the tourists 57 for five.

Prospering from a willingness to give the ball every chance to swing, Sidebottom finished with four for 44 second time around.

Sylvester Joseph fell to a classic left-armer's leg-before dismissal when he was defeated by one which shaped back in, while Devon Smith, top scorer in the first innings, succumbed dangling the bat outside off-stump, held at first slip at the second attempt by Andrew Strauss.

Further rain swept in immediately upon Smith's departure and provided half-an-hour's respite.

With defeat inevitable, the tourists went down fighting as the sixth-wicket pair of Runako Morton and Dwayne Bravo held up their opponents for 63 minutes, during which they reaped as many runs.

They were separated when Morton misjudged a pull at a 90-mile-per-hour Steve Harmison delivery to steeple a catch to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

England would have been a step closer to victory - West Indies captain Sarwan was only scheduled to bat if any realistic hopes of saving the match lingered due to an injured collarbone - but Liam Plunkett dropped Denesh Ramdin at gully shortly before the tea interval.

Bravo's positive approach to adversity, including a handsome off-driven six off Monty Panesar, was appreciated by the Leeds crowd and he saluted them after bringing up a half-century from 61 balls.

But Bravo's bravado against left-arm spinner Panesar resulted in his demise as a mishit stroke failed to clear mid-off.

That was the middle dismissal of three in as many overs, sandwiched either side of Harmison's second and third successes of the innings.

Ramdin was unfortunate to be adjudged leg before to a full delivery which angled into leg while a fortuitous ricochet off Jerome Taylor's body from a short ball had enough on it to dislodge the bails and end the contest shortly before 5pm.

Having sat kicking their heels waiting for the wet weather to abate throughout yesterday, it was the kind of scenario England dreamed of when they saw the forecast this morning.

Plunkett removed dangerman Chris Gayle to enhance the victory bid in the four overs possible at the start.

Although Durham paceman Plunkett sent a handful of deliveries wide down the leg-side, he surprised left-hander Gayle with one which held its line to take the outside edge.

Despite dismissing their opponents twice for under 150 here, there is still room for improvement in the bowling attack as the series moves to Old Trafford on June 7.

With Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard doubtful for that match, 29-year-old Sidebottom will almost certainly get another chance to lead the attack as he did with such aplomb here.

Harmison's handful of victims in this match represented a definite improvement on his Lord's display, something particularly evident on the final afternoon when he bowled straighter than at any point and found reward.

CAPTION(S):

ALL THE FUN OF THE HAIR... Ryan Sidebottom celebrates eight wickets at his old ground with Kevin Pietersen; IN ON THE ACT... At last, Steve Harmison can celebrate a wicket