Ben Stokes returns to captain England in deciding Test against New Zealand

Ben Stokes will return to captain England for the series-deciding third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, with Gus Atkinson also recalled after both players missed the second Test following a nightclub incident.

Stokes and Atkinson were ruled out of the second Test at The Oval, which England lost by 253 runs to level the series at 1-1, after an early-hours episode following England's 115-run win at Lord's. The ECB launched an investigation and on Sunday stated that 'no blame should be attached to the players for violent conduct,' adding that Atkinson was the 'victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate.' However, both players admitted to breaking a midnight curfew introduced after previous drinking-related issues on tour.

County cricket returns and team selection

Stokes and Atkinson both played county cricket earlier this week, with Stokes scoring 95 off 118 balls for Durham against Northamptonshire and Atkinson taking four wickets for Surrey against Glamorgan. They were withdrawn from the final two days of those matches to prepare for the Trent Bridge Test, which starts on Friday.

• England squad for third Test: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.
• Joe Root captained England at The Oval in Stokes' absence, but the bowling attack struggled without Stokes, Atkinson, and the injured Ollie Robinson.
• This is a series decider after New Zealand's commanding win at The Oval following England's victory at Lord's.
• Stokes' return bolsters both the batting and bowling departments for England.

What's next

The third Test at Trent Bridge will determine the winner of the series. Stokes will look to lead England to a series victory on home soil, while New Zealand will aim to complete a comeback after their dominant performance in London.