SA look to bounce back
AB’S MEN WERE COMPREHENSIVELY BEATEN BUT CAN BOUNCE BACK
England know just what South Africa are capable of.
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 Thursday as they go in search of their first major 50-over title.
But before then, they still have two ODIs against the Proteas, with today’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 lone fifty in 28 ODI innings since his career-best 128 at the 2015 World Cup.
England’s Ben Stokes has been passed fit to play at the Rose Bowl today.
The star all-rounder had scans on his left knee after briefly leaving the field during the first series opener.
Although the scans were inconclusive, Stokes still took a limited part in England’s practice session yesterday at the Rose Bowl, the headquarters of south coast county Hampshire.
However, an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman said paceman Stokes was “fit to play and is available to bowl” as England seek to wrap up the series against the Proteas.
During yesterday’s training session, Stokes had two net sessions as a batsman but then, either side of adjusting the strapping on his knee, bowled just 12 deliveries in the edge of the square.
But as Wednesday’s match demonstrated, England can win well without a major contribution from Stokes, a point emphasised by fast bowler Liam Plunkett.
“But we’ve also got other players who can come in and win games – as we’ve shown,” said Plunkett.