Summary Moeen Ali believes England are now much more than a one-man band in the 50-over game.
LEEDS (AFP) - Moeen Ali insisted no one in the England camp was getting carried away after they underlined their Champions Trophy credentials with a comprehensive 72-run one-day international win over South Africa at Headingley.
Wednesday s success saw England go 1-0 up in a three-match series against South Africa, top of the International Cricket Council s ODI rankings.
The decisive win was all the more timely given that next week sees the start of the Champions Trophy, a tournament featuring the world s leading eight ODI sides.
Hosts England will kick things off against Bangladesh at The Oval on June 1 as they go in search of their first major 50-over title.
But before then, they still have two ODIs against the Proteas, with Saturday s match at Southampton followed by a series finale at Lord s on Monday.
Ali, whose fluent 77 not out together with captain Eoin Morgan s century laid the platform for England s win in Leeds, said afterwards: "We re only 1-0 up with two games to go, but it s a great start to the summer.
"We were 2-0 up against them in South Africa (in 2015/16) and we lost 3-2. They re a very good side, and we know that."
Not known as a big hitter, left-hander Ali still struck five sixes at Yorkshire s headquarters.
It was major return to form given he had managed just a line fifty in 28 ODI innings since his career-best 128 at the 2015 World Cup.
Ali said his innings owed much to some late advice from England assistant coach Paul Farbrace.
"I actually wasn t batting that well in the nets," he said. "I went inside with Paul Farbrace, and he knows my game quite well now.
"I had a chat with him, and he helped -- and I felt in a good rhythm going into this match."
Ali finished things off in style with a legside pick-up six off Chris Morris s final ball of the innings.
"Even towards the end of my innings there were a couple I tried to slog, and I lost my shape," he explained.
"Then the last ball I tried to keep my shape as much as I could.
"It s more an instinctive way of batting, and Farby helped me a lot."
Ali, who was left out of England s preceding 2-0 series win over Ireland, made his name as a top-order batsman but now comes in much later for England.
"I find batting seven tough," he admitted. "But I m trying to be good at it and get better at it."
Ali s inclusion was probably aided by the fact that all-rounder Ben Stokes was also back in the side Wednesday after a successful stint in the Indian Premier League.
Stokes, however, suffered a knee injury -- having had surgery last year -- at Headingley and is now set to have a scan.
But Ali believes England, who suffered an embarrassing first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup, are now much more than a one-man band in the 50-over game.
"We ve got the team that is capable of (winning our next seven matches)," he said.
