MOEEN Ali insists Worcestershire will reap the benefit of their squad “becoming better players” no matter what the outcome of being back in LV= County Championship Division One next season.

The County are still on cloud nine after Friday’s dramatic win over Surrey earned them their fifth promotion in 12 years.

England ace Moeen recognises the big challenge that will now confront skipper Daryl Mitchell and his players but believes it is possible to repeat the heroics of 2010 when the County stayed up after being promoted.

He said: “It can never be too early to be promoted. Now we are up, the guys know we’ve got to step up.

“It is different but, no matter what the outcome will be next year, people become better players for being in Division One.

“That’s the most important thing, everyone developing as players, and I’m sure we will do well.

“It is possible to stay up. Definitely. We’ve played really well this year, we deserve to be in the position we are in of being promoted.”

Moeen added: “It is going to be tough. It is completely different cricket. If we stay up, it will be a good season. We can’t afford to play the way we did against Surrey for much of the game.

“In Division One, you can’t afford to have one bad session so we are going to have to work really hard in the winter like we always try and do.

“A lot of us have been up and down quite a bit so we know what it is going to take now.”