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Cape Town - England began their Ashes battle with Australia on Thursday without superstar all-rounder Ben Stokes.
It is a massive blow to the England charge, but the visitors will have been largely satisfied with their performance on the opening day of the series having finished on 196/4 in Brisbane.
There is no doubt that England would be better off with Stokes, one of the most dangerous players in the world, in their side, but the 26-year-old has had to stay home in England to see if he will be charged by Somerset Police after he was arrested for beating a man up in Bristol in September.
Despite going through a tough time currently, Stokes took to Twitter to send his team-mates some words of encouragement just before the first Test got underway.
"I know how much preparation has gone into making sure everyone is right and ready to go," Stokes said.
"I just want to wish all the fans who have made the long travel out to Australia all the best as well and I hope we can give you a good result in the first Test match."
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) November 22, 2017
