Alastair Cook said on Saturday that English cricket should “cherish every moment” James Anderson plays for his country after a match-winning performance against the West Indies on day five of the second Test.

England arrived at the National Stadium in Grenada fearing a second successive draw on a stubbornly flat pitch but Anderson turned in an unforgettable effort in a nine-wicket victory.

He played a part in all six of the wickets that fell in the decisive morning session, taking three for one with the second new ball before chipping in with two catches and a predatory run-out.

England were left with a chase of 143, knocked off with ease by Cook (59 not out) and Gary Ballance (81no), the latter reaching 1,000 Test runs in just 17 innings.

But it was Anderson, who became the nation’s leading Test wicket-taker in Antigua last week, who took centre stage.

“We should cherish every moment he bowls for England,” Cook said.

“We turned up at the ground thinking it would be a lot of hard work on a flat wicket, and it was, but when you’ve got special players in your team they can produce special performances at the drop of a hat.

“When Jimmy got that rhythm going I thought he would be the guy to change the game.

“Sometimes we take Jimmy for granted because we kind of expect him to be able to swing it both ways, reverse it and never miss his length. That doesn’t always happen but he’s pretty close time and time again.”