England have confirmed Andrew Strauss will return to the side after naming the starting XI for the first Test against New Zealand starting on Wednesday.

The Middlesex opener was dropped for the pre-Christmas tour of Sri Lanka put has been recalled for the game in Hamilton, where he is likely to take his place at number three in the line-up.

Strauss scored a century in the recent warm-up game in Dunedin and it was enough for the selectors to give him the nod over domestic team-mate Owais Shah.

New wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose will make his debut in the only other change to the side that played in Sri Lanka, with Matt Prior having been axed from the squad.

Steve Harmison will also take his place in the line-up as England made the surprise decision to name their side 24 hours before the start.

The Durham paceman has been included despite looking rusty in the warm-up match, and will join fit-again Ryan Sidebottom and Matthew Hoggard in the attack with Monty Panesar providing the spin option.

"Straussy looks mentally refreshed and is playing well and he fitted into the number three position very well during the three-day game," said captain Michael Vaughan.

"We feel this is the time when we can start playing some good cricket. We have six games against New Zealand over the next two months to get our game back on track.

"We have lost the last two series and we want to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible."

Standby wicketkeeper Phil Mustard was taken to hospital on Tuesday morning with a suspected broken nose after he was struck in nets.

Mustard was feeding one of the bowling machines in the nets adjacent to Seddon Park, when a shot from batsman Kevin Pietersen hit him in the face.

England team to play New Zealand:
MP Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt), AN Cook (Essex), AJ Strauss (Middlesex), KP Pietersen (Hampshire), IR Bell (Warwickshire), PD Collingwood (Durham), TR Ambrose (Warwickshire, wkt), RJ Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), MJ Hoggard (Yorkshire), SJ Harmison (Durham), MS Panesar (Northamptonshire).