England captain Ben Stokes is fully embracing the magnitude of The Ashes series and expects to play in all five Tests against Australia over the next two months.

Head coach Brendon McCullum insisted this winter's contest represented "the biggest series of all our lives" while speaking in September and the England skipper agrees, saying "we'd be lying to ourselves" to suggest otherwise.

Speaking to Sky Sports' Michael Atherton ahead of Friday's opener in Perth, Stokes said his side have a "great chance" to win a series in Australia for the first time since 2011, with the team losing 13 and drawing two of 15 subsequent matches Down Under.

"Definitely [the biggest series of our lives]. Everyone in the world, everyone in Australia and England, knows how big this is," said Stokes.

"I thin

See Full Page