Ferguson to return from thumb injury in warm-up matches against England

Ferguson, whose tour of Sri Lanka ended before it began, when he sustained a fracture to his thumb at training, last played in a warm-up T20 match against a Sri Lanka Board President’s XI in August.

"The thumb has healed well and I'm looking forward to having a hit-out at Lincoln," Ferguson said. "While it's obviously frustrating to be sidelined, it's actually been good to take some time to freshen up and be able to return with plenty of motivation and energy.”

Ferguson's first match back will be against the same opposition he last played against – England, who trumped New Zealand by the narrowest of margins in the most gripping and nailbiting World Cup final in history, and he looks forward to meeting them again. “It's the beginning of a really big summer of cricket, and it's exciting to be starting it against a quality England side,” he said.

The New Zealand XI will be captained by Colin Munro and will play two practice matches against England, on 27 and 29 October. England’s tour of New Zealand kicks off with the first T20I on 1 November. The five-match series will be followed by two Tests, in Mount Maunganui and Hamilton.