Stokes, Atkinson among four changes to England XI for Trent Bridge Test

Ben Stokes returns to captain England in the series-deciding third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, with Gus Atkinson also back in the XI as England named their side two days before the match.

Stokes, Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Shoaib Bashir replace James Rew, Jordan Cox, Matthew Fisher and Sonny Baker after the 253-run defeat at The Oval. The XI largely resembles the team that took a 1-0 lead at Lord's, with Jofra Archer replacing Ollie Robinson as the only difference.

England XI: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

Stokes and Atkinson were unavailable for the second Test after breaching the team's midnight curfew following the Lord's victory. An ECB hearing found "no blame should be attached to the players for violent conduct" at a nightclub, though both received written warnings.

The Cricket Regulator concluded its investigation with no further action.

Ahead of the decider, head coach Brendon McCullum dismissed suggestions of a strained relationship with Stokes. "Ben and I are tight," he said, adding that debate within the leadership group is natural but they remain aligned. McCullum also stressed the importance of maintaining standards, saying representing England carries responsibilities both on and off the field.