Kevin Pietersen believes that England's hard work this winter finally paid off when they beat Sri Lanka in Colombo on Saturday.
The batsman was named man of the match for his first innings 151 as England levelled the series with an eight-wicket win.
After a difficult winter, which included a 3-0 Test series defeat to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, Pietersen feels that the players deserve credit for their persistent hard work during this time.
"It's always nice to get some runs. It's been a very tough winter for all the batters. But the hard work the boys have put in to bat second and fourth in this Test," Pietersen told Sky Sports News.
"The hard work, the practice, the hours that I've put in, I just thought when you get yourself in and in some sort of nick, you've got to try to get it. When it's 42-43 degrees, I can't block too many!
"We've done a fantastic job. All the boys deserve all the credit."
With the victory, England retained their place as being the number one ranked Test side in the world.
