The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) have come forward and announced their playing XI for the upcoming third Test against New Zealand.
It is worth noting that the series is at a standstill currently, with England having won the first Test and New Zealand winning the second.
With the series sitting at 1-1, both sides will hope for a good performance in the third Test as they are looking to clinch the three-game affair. Furthermore, with the reveal of the playing XI, it is worth noting that the XI features the likes of Gus Atkinson and Ben Stokes.
It is interesting to note that while Stokes has made his return to the side, he will not be leading England in the clash. Joe Root will continue to be the captain after the recent nightclub controversy, where both Stokes and Atkinson were involved. However, with the ECB having delivered their final verdict on the matter, both Stokes and Atkinson have officially been added back into the XI.
England aim to clinch the series in the third Test
It is worth noting that the Test series began with both sides taking on each other at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. The hosts managed to register a dominant victory by 115 runs. Furthermore, the second Test of the series was held at The Oval, and New Zealand blew away England with a 253-run win.
For the third Test, the two sides will meet at Trent Bridge in Nottingham from June 25th, and both sides will hope to put in their best performance and clinch the series. England, on the other hand will hope that the return of Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson in the playing XI could prove to be a big boost for the side and they manage to win the upcoming third Test which would help them clinch the series and cap off the three-game affair on a positive note.
England playing XI: Emilio Gay, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.