Thunder god Stokes ready to hammer his name in history

Perth offers good memories for the captain at the pinnacle of a four-year project cast in his aggressive image

- Ali Martin

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.

But they resumed in earnest yesterday morning in nets that had Joe Root purring about their quality. There was certainly more pace and bounce than during the warmup game at Lilac Hill last week, Root confident that three good sessions is plenty before the big push on Friday.

The most positive news was Mark Wood's 40-minute spell, with a recent scan on a stiff hamstring showing no injury. And contrary to the wider perception, and the eclectic music blaring out of the speakers, England get serious when they train - none more so than their captain.

Watching Ben Stokes go about his work remains a sight to behold, no stone left unturned and a high bar set for the squad at large. He was last to leave the lanes on Monday, his only real inconvenience being an eye-watering blow to the box from Josh Hull (the left-armer part of the Lions tour but roped in to replicate Mitchell Starc's angle).