England lose eight WTC points for slow over-rate in first Ashes Test

The Joe Root-led side has been docked eight ICC World Test Championship points, three more than what was previously stated owing to a slow over-rate in the first Ashes Test against Australia. Earlier, it was announced that England will lose five WTC points but now as per the recent turn of events, it is been reported that the side was eight overs short and will have to lose more points.

After this, England has six points to their account after five Tests in the ongoing 2021-23 cycle of the WTC. They thus find themselves in the seventh position of the points table with a win percentage of 10%. The team was also fined 100% of their match fee for the breach.

The visitors lost the first Ashes Test after Australia dominated the proceedings to win the match by nine wickets. England was also penalized for poor over-rate in the home series against India in July-August which they had lost too. This thus means that England has now conceded a total of 10 points to slow over-rate. The team is currently playing the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval.

Here is ICC’s press release:

“The International Cricket Council (ICC) has clarified that England has been penalized eight ICC World Test Championship penalty points for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first Test against Australia in Brisbane last week.

As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offenses, players are fined 20 percent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, up to a maximum fine of 100 percent of the match fee.

England was eight overs short (not 5 overs short as previously announced) but was only fined 100 percent of their match fee due to the limit. However, the points deduction for penalty overs is not capped and must reflect the actual number of penalty overs a team is short of the minimum requirement as per Clause 16.1.2 of the ICC Playing Conditions, hence they have been penalized one point for each over they were short,” ICCS’s press release read.