Flower expects England to bloom

Coach Andy Flower insists England are excited rather than weary as they prepare for their opening match in the Champions Trophy on Friday.

Despite arriving on the back of a gruelling summer schedule, which concluded with a 6-1 NatWest Series drubbing by Australia, and having just two days' practice to acclimatise to the high altitude in Johannesburg, England head into their opening Group B fixture against Sri Lanka thankful for a change of scene.

"We have had a long, hard summer back home, so getting out here and playing in this tournament, with the best players in the world, is very exciting for everyone," said Flower. "We are looking forward to that challenge."

He added: "There is no trouble at all getting the players up for this tournament. Being here and feeling the buzz about it, and looking forward to a couple of wins to get us through to the semi-finals is exciting for everyone."

While Australia's pacemen, led by a rejuvenated Brett Lee, cleaned up England's misfiring batsmen earlier this month, the threat now reverts to spin with Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, whose remarkable rise continued with a starring display in the tournament-opening win over South Africa.

"It proved a tough series against Australia but the Sri Lankans will put forward a completely different challenge," said Flower.