Right after suffering a crushing 253-run loss that allowed New Zealand to level the three-match series, England have now been hit with a massive punishment from the ICC. The hosts have been fined 50 per cent of their match fee and docked 12 World Test Championship (WTC) points for maintaining a slow over-rate during the second Test.
The sanction was imposed by ICC match referee Andy Pycroft after England were found to be 12 overs short of the required target once time allowances were taken into account. Under ICC regulations, players are fined five per cent of their match fee for every over their side falls short, while teams lose one WTC point per over.
The penalty leaves England with just 38 points from 12 Tests in the current World Test Championship cycle. While they remain seventh in the standings, their points percentage has taken a substantial hit, dropping from 34.72 to 26.38.
Interim captain Joe Root accepted the offence and the proposed sanction, meaning there was no need for a formal hearing. The charge was brought by on-field umpires Adrian Holdstock and Nitin Menon, third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd.
England’s problems deepen despite Stokes and Atkinson return
New Zealand produced one of their finest away Test performances to level the series at 1-1. Fast bowler Matt Henry starred with a sensational match haul of 11 wickets, including 6/29 in the second innings, as England were bundled out for 209 while chasing an improbable 463-run target.
The victory was New Zealand’s seventh Test win in England and only their second at The Oval, underlining the scale of the achievement.
For England, however, attention quickly shifts to the series decider at Trent Bridge starting on Thursday. There is at least some positive news on that front. Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have both been cleared by the ECB and recalled after missing the second Test following the nightclub controversy that erupted after the Lord’s win. Stokes will resume captaincy duties, while Atkinson strengthens England’s pace attack.
The second Test was also memorable for Joe Root, who became only the second batter in Test history to cross the 14,000-run mark. With 14,000-plus runs already in the bank, Root now sits second on the all-time Test run-scorers list and remains one of the few players with a realistic chance of challenging Sachin Tendulkar’s records for most Test runs and centuries.
Updated ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 Standings
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | Deduction | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 87.50 |
| 2 | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 75.00 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 66.67 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 66.67 |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 58.33 |
| 6 | India | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 48.15 |
| 7 | England | 12 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 38 | 26.38 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 8.33 |
| 9 | West Indies | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4.17 |
