England have named their playing XI for the third and final Test of the ongoing three-match series against New Zealand, slated to begin at Seddon Park in Hamilton on December 14.
The Three Lions have made just one change to their playing XI compared to the second Test. They have brought right-arm seamer Matthew Potts in for bowling allrounder Chris Woakes.
Potts, 26, has played nine Tests for England and claimed 31 wickets at an average of 29.22, including a four-fer. Potts last played for England in the high-scoring Multan Test against Pakistan in October.
Woakes hasn't quite made his mark in the ongoing series and that could possibly be the reason why the team management has left him out. He scored a solitary run and claimed three wickets in the first Test at Hagley Oval and scored 18 with figures of 1/26 and 2/20 in the second Test at Basin Reserve.
Meanwhile, England are eyeing a clean sweep over New Zealand in a Test series in New Zealand for the first time since March 1963. England's previous clean sweep in a Test series in New Zealand had come under the leadership of Ted Dexter.
The final Test of the Crowe-Thrope Trophy will be the last time cricket fans witness Tim Southee in whites for the Blackcaps, should he be picked in the playing XI. Southee has already announced his retirement from Test cricket.
Barring a clean sweep opportunity, the Test match in Hamilton is inconsequential as both England and New Zealand are already out of the ICC World Test Championship final contention. Bangladesh and West Indies are also out of the race.
England's playing XI for the third Test:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir
