Strauss relishing trophy trip

Strauss and his team-mates will open their campaign against Sri Lanka in South Africa on Friday hoping to maintain what little momentum they managed to establish by fending off a 7-0 NatWest Series whitewash at Chester-le Street on Sunday.

He said: "It's the Champions Trophy, it's one of the big events, to be honest. I think there's something very exciting about being in the same couple of hotels as all the best players in the world. It's quite intoxicating and it's an event everyone wants to win."

He added: "The schedule is tough, there's no doubt about that, but that's international cricket.

"By the looks of things, it's not going to be changing in the near future, so as players, you need to be as fit as possible and when you have got opportunities to have a rest, you need to take them and make sure you can maintain a consistent level of performance."

Having bowled out the tourists for just 176, thanks in large part to Graeme Swann's career-best haul of five for 28, he and fellow opener Joe Denly had guided England to 106 without loss when the skipper fell three short of his 50.

His departure signalled a depressingly familiar batting collapse - at one point, four wickets fell for only 12 runs in the space of 27 balls - and it took Durham all-rounder Paul Collingwood and Tim Bresnan to guide England home with 60 balls to spare.

But bowling hero Swann is convinced a change of scenery can help to revitalise the team and particularly the likes of struggling batsman Ravi Bopara, who managed just 13 runs.

He said: "I firmly believe that. Just thinking about Ravi, just the fact that it's a different bowling attack coming will serve him well and will serve the team well.

"Having won, we are going away thinking at least we don't have to play Australia again in the next game, and you never know."