FUNTASTIC

Skipper Stokes wants to end summer with a bang

- GARY FITZGERALD

BEN STOKES wants his troops to crank up the heat to ensure England's sizzling Test summer becomes one to remember - and have fun while doing it.

The all-rounder wants to build on a stunning whitewash of New Zealand and victory over India to avoid the five-day side's revival hitting a South African brick wall in the opening clash at Lord's on Wednesday.

England fans have lapped up the thrills and spills served up and the revitalised Test stars have risen to fourth in the ICC Test rankings.

However, they come up against South African rivals one place above them and Stokes insists: "It's been an amazing start and we've played some great cricket over these past four Tests but we now have a big three games against South Africa, which are even more important.

"The first four games were so close together you could just roll from one to the other with the same energy and confidence. Now we've had quite a big gap in between and that makes for a different challenge.