Lockie Ferguson was given the bad news by coach Gary Stead ahead of the first test against England.

Scrap the term 'fighting fire with fire' from Kane Williamson's Bay Oval battle plan.

The New Zealand captain, and coach Gary Stead, put an abrupt lid on the hype around the country's most exciting fast bowler since Shane Bond on Wednesday when they sent Lockie Ferguson back to Ford Trophy cricket with Auckland.

Instead of taking what looked a compelling punt on Ferguson's 150kmh speed, intimidation and accuracy against England's inexperienced top-order in the first cricket test, Williamson went for the tried and true.

GETTY IMAGES Tim Southee and Trent Boult will share the new ball again for New Zealand against England at Bay Oval.

The skipper confirmed Northern Districts trio Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner would combine for their eighth successive home test, against an England pace attack of senior man Stuart Broad, the express Jofra Archer and left-armer Sam Curran.

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Archer has been all the talk after his 20-wicket World Cup then 22 wickets in four Ashes tests and a near knockout blow to Australia's colossus Steve Smith. Currently rated the fastest in world cricket, Archer looms as a genuine threat to New Zealand's top-six who've had a mixed preparation.

GARETH COPLEY/GETTY IMAGES Speedster Jofra Archer has 22 wickets from four tests but is yet to play one outside England.

Ferguson, too, was a World Cup force at similar speed, grabbing 21 wickets, second only to Mitchell Starc. But 14.3 Plunket Shield overs for Auckland against Wellington and a first-class record of 153 wickets at 24 wasn't enough to sway the selectors into a test debut at 28.

"I don't know if that's how you pick a team," Williamson said of the Ferguson v Archer theory.

"Don't get me wrong, the excitement of having a guy in our camp that can bowl at such high speed is very attractive.

"But in saying that the current guys that have been there and done such a fantastic job for us are the ones we're going with for this game. It is great to have Lockie in the group, getting in and around the guys for test cricket.

"Someone like Jofra has obviously been outstanding for England… [but] you don't look at mirroring the opposition."

Indeed, the Black Caps had minimal reason to change the pace attack which propelled them to No 2 on the world rankings and a run of six unbeaten series. It's just that Ferguson offered the untapped point of difference on a pitch that may become hard work for the bowlers.

GETTY IMAGES Skipper Kane Williamson has opted for the tried and true pace attack who've done the job for him before.

In those past seven home tests - including the 1-0 series win over England 19 months ago - Southee took 36 wickets at 23.38, Boult 45 at 20.6 and Wagner 32 at 24.03.

Bay Oval groundsman Jared Carter unveiled a good looking test strip as the Mount Maunganui ground becomes the country's ninth test venue. He said it was last used for the January ODI against Sri Lanka when the Black Caps' 319 played 298.

"A really good, true wicket that will bring all facets into the game," was his assessment.

GARETH COPLEY/GETTY IMAGES Slow down! Jofra Archer and Saqib Mahmood of England warm up during a nets session at Bay Oval.

If the sea breeze gets up and Boult and Southee's prized swing doesn't eventuate, the lion-hearted Wagner's usual barrage will come into play.

England, meanwhile, will have Broad fresh off his domination of David Warner bowling to left-handers Tom Latham, Jeet Raval and Henry Nicholls, alongside Archer. And let's not forget the world-beating Ben Stokes as fourth seamer and pivotal No 5 bat.

Said England captain Joe Root of Archer, who plays his first offshore test: "He makes it look ridiculously easy with his action and the way he approaches the crease. But to be able to bowl at that pace for a period of time is a skill in itself, and he needs to understand that."

"One thing I have learned is that he has a huge hunger for wickets. He wants to be in the game, and once you get the ball in his hand, it can be very hard to get it off him. It's a great trait."

In the other contentious New Zealand selection, Mitchell Santner pipped Todd Astle for the spinner's berth, with Astle returning to Canterbury for Ford Trophy and Matt Henry and Tom Blundell remaining as emergency cover.

It was a signal that spin will likely be used in a stock role rather than an attacking one, with the respective pace attacks potentially deciding what looks an evenly-poised contest. Sadly, without New Zealand's most exciting attacking weapon.

AT A GLANCE

First test at Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui, 11am Thursday (day one):

New Zealand: Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Kane Williamson (captain), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

England: Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Joe Denly, Joe Root (captain), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad.

TAB odds: NZ $2.10, England $2.25, draw $5.55