"England look 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."
"They resumed in earnest on Tuesday morning in nets that had Joe Root purring about their quality. There was certainly more pace and bounce than during the warm-up game at Lilac Hill last week, Root confident that three good sessions is plenty ahead of Friday's big push. 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."
England combined leisure activities with focused preparation ahead of the first Ashes Test, including players visiting Rottnest Island while Australia trained at the ground. Nets sessions increased in pace and bounce compared with the Lilac Hill warm-up, prompting Joe Root's approval and belief that three strong sessions will suffice before Friday. Mark Wood completed a 40-minute spell and a recent scan cleared a stiff hamstring. Training intensity was led by Ben Stokes, who set a high standard and worked late in the nets, suffering an eye-watering blow to the box. David Warner advised against provoking Stokes.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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