England have been penalised 12 World Test Championship points and fined 50% of their match fees for a slow over-rate in the second Test vs New Zealand. The deduction wipes out the 12 points earned from their win in the first Test.
England Hit with Severe WTC Penalty
England have been penalised 12 points in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings and fined 50 per cent of their match fees for maintaining a slow over rate during the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval. The sanction comes after England were found to be 12 overs short of the required target after time allowances were taken into account.
Under WTC regulations, teams lose one championship point for every over they fall short, resulting in a 12-point deduction. According to ESPNcricinfo, the punishment effectively wipes out the 12 points England earned from their victory in the opening Test at Lord’s.
In addition to the points penalty, England players were fined five per cent of their match fees for each over short. However, the ICC’s Code of Conduct caps such fines at 50 per cent, which was the maximum penalty imposed on the side.
The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Adrian Holdstock and Nitin Menon, along with third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd. Stand-in captain Joe Root accepted the offence and pleaded guilty, eliminating the need for a formal hearing before match referee Andy Pycroft.
Impact on Standings and Series
The setback compounds England’s disappointment after their heavy 253-run defeat to New Zealand in the second Test, which levelled the three-match series at 1-1. Following the deduction, England sit seventh in the nine-team WTC table with 38 points from 12 Tests, giving them a percentage of points earned of 26.39.
History of Offences
This is the second slow over-rate offence committed by England in the current WTC cycle. They were previously docked two points following their 22-run win over India at Lord’s in 2025. During the previous WTC cycle, England lost a total of 22 points because of similar offences and eventually finished fifth in the standings.
Looking Ahead to Decisive Third Test
England will now turn their attention to the decisive third Test against New Zealand, which begins at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Thursday. Regular captain Ben Stokes is set to return after missing the second Test, while fast bowler Gus Atkinson is also available for selection. Both players sat out the Oval Test following the nightclub incident that embarrassed the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)