Both England and New Zealand were fined for slow overrate in the first Test in Christchurch. The decision didn’t go down well with England captain Ben Stokes.
England registered a comprehensive eight-wicket win in the first Test against New Zealand and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. However, both teams were found to be three overs short of the necessary target even after time allowances were considered. Hence, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has deducted three World Test Championship (WTC) points from both England and New Zealand.
According to the regulations, teams are docked one WTC point for every over they are short. In addition to this, they are fined 15% of their match fee.
Both captains Stokes and Tom Latham have accepted the charges. The two on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Rod Tucker along with third umpire Adrian Holdstock, fourth umpire Kim Cotton and match referee David Boon were present when the case was brought up against both sides. Since the two skippers have decided to accept the charges, no formal hearing was required.
However, Stokes wasn’t shy from lashing out at the ICC for imposing the penalty despite finishing the game well in advance. England wrapped up the first Test with more than four sessions to spare. Thus, Stokes took to Instagram to express his displeasure and said, “Good on you ICC. Finished the game with 10 hours of play still left.”
Impact on WTC standings
The deduction of points has a significant impact on the WTC points table and the race for the finals. New Zealand need to win the series to remain in contention to reach the final. They now see their points percentage drop to 47.92% and they’ve slipped down to the fifth spot. Winning the remaining two matches without any further penalties could see their points percentage to 55.36%. That means that their qualification will depend on other results.
England have been on the receiving end of slow overrate penalties multiple times in the ongoing 2023-25 cycle of the WTC. As many as 22 points have been deducted from their overall points tally and that has severely dented their chances of reaching the final this time around. They are currently sixth on the table with 42.5%. Even if they whitewash New Zealand 3-0 in the current series (considering no further deductions), their points percentage will rise to 47.72% and that will not be enough for them to reach the final which will be played at Lord’s in June 2025.