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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ali Martin in Perth

RARE PHOTOS: Ben stokes the thunder god primed for ashes series that may define his career - The Real Truth

Ben Stokes outside Perth Stadium, where the 2025-26 Ashes series begins on Friday.
Ben Stokes outside Perth Stadium, where the 2025-26 Ashes series begins on Friday. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

England hope to strike a healthy balance between work and play and at the start of this Ashes week: as Australia trained at the ground to prepare for the first Test, the tourists were being, well, tourists.

As well as the usual golfers, a handful of players took a boat trip out to Rottnest Island, with Brydon Carse later showing off an impressive fish he had caught. No doubt some of the grouchier past players would sooner his mind was on reeling in a far bigger one: Steve Smith.

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