"Ben Stokes And England Team-mates Sink Beers And Sunbathe": Mid-Ashes Break After Losing Two Tests Send Media Into Meltdown

England's attacking 'Bazball' approach has fallen flat in the 2025-26 Ashes so far. The hosts currently lead the five-match series 2-0, with the third Test between England and Australia set to be played in Adelaide, starting December 17. England suffered a helpless, two-day loss at Perth, courtesy of Travis Head's form in the first Test. In the second Test, except for centurion Joe Root, Zak Crawley and skipper Ben Stokes managed to bat for any significant length of time.

After the second Ashes Test, England are currently on a break at a beach retreat in Noosa. According to media reports, the break was pre-planned in collaboration with Cricket Australia.

However, the English media has not taken the break lightly. "Ben Stokes and England team-mates sink beers and sunbathe after Ashes humiliation," The Telegraph wrote in its report. "Embattled players enjoy downtime at tourist hotspot Noosa just days after going 2-0 down in the series," it added.

Ben Stokes and England team-mates sink beers and sunbathe after Ashes humiliation

Find out more https://t.co/SxGGdVaV0H pic.twitter.com/2zWdoAHznd

— Telegraph Cricket (@TeleCricket) December 10, 2025

The headline of the report in BBC read: "Sledged on the beach - England's break in Noosa."

"As the squad assembled on the beach on Wednesday morning, the players were approached by two local radio hosts - dressed in full whites - holding signs that read 'For sale - moral victories' and 'Bazballers anonymous - free counselling,'" the BBC report added.

Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey feels England's mid-Ashes break in Noosa will do them some good, but warns Australia against getting too comfortable with their 2-0 lead. Carey believes memories of the 2023 series, where Australia blew a 2-0 lead in England, will keep his team focused. England arrived in Noosa, the affluent resort town on the Queensland coast, on Tuesday for a four-night mini-break, and will train three times in Adelaide ahead of the third Ashes Test, according to ESPNcricinfo.

"I think it'd be a nice holiday. It's a pretty big series, with lots of time between games. For the Australian cricket team, we get to go home for a few days and be with families, so touring parties have got to find time to fill in those little windows," Carey said, as per ESPNcricinfo.

"We know England are a very good team. We also understand we were in a position like this a couple of years ago in England. We weren't able to win that series, but we were good enough to retain the Ashes. We're really excited for the opportunity we've got, but we understand we've got to keep playing good cricket," Carey added.

Carey believes it's up to England to decide how to handle the mid-tour break, but feels taking time off can help them refresh and recharge. He noted the Ashes is "very hotly contested" and players shouldn't be thinking about cricket every day.

"I'm not sure you need to do it [but] it's totally up to the touring groups to find ways to take your mind off cricket for a little bit. The Ashes is very hotly contested. You don't want to be thinking about cricket every single day of the tour. If you do have a little break, it's probably not a bad time to refresh the batteries," Carey concluded.

Topics mentioned in this article

Ben Stokes England Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team Australia vs England, Ashes 2025-26 Cricket