England cricket captain got some custom-made cricket gear created to honour his late dad before using them to stick the boot into Australia's elderly Ashes side with a sensational spell of bowling Ben Stokes inspired England's comeback (Image: Cricket Australia via Getty Imag)

Ben Stokes put the boot in on Australia on an epic opening day of the Ashes - thanks to special shoes inspired by his late dad.

The England skipper had the custom-made cricket gear created to give him the edge in what is expected to be a nervy contest of cliffhangers.

And fans hailed the beyond-the-grave nudge for spurring on Stokes to a Herculean performance to drag his team back from the abyss after they were skittled out for just 172. Meanwhile, TNT's Ashes coverage has been roundly slammed by disgru

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