'Biggest series' of my captaincy, says Stokes

FIRST ASHES TEST GETS UNDER WAY IN PERTH

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Australia Captain Steve Smith (left) and England counterpart Ben Stokes hold the Waterford Crystal replica urn on the eve of the first Ashes Test in Perth

ENGLAND captain Ben Stokes believes the next two months of Ashes cricket will be the most important series of his career.

The latest instalment in one of sport's most enduring rivalries began in Perth this morning in front of a sellout 60,000 crowd.

It has been billed as a battle that will define the legacy of the entire ‘Bazball’ era and Stokes accepts the hype is justified.

“I understand what this series means in my journey as England captain,’ he said on the eve of the first Test.