England Penalised for Slow Over-Rate Despite Victory Over India at Lord’s
Despite securing a thrilling 22-run victory over India in the third Test at Lord’s, England have been docked two points in the ICC World Test Championship standings for maintaining a slow over-rate. The penalty, handed out under Article 16.11.2 of the WTC playing conditions, applies one point deduction for each over short after accounting for time allowances.
This setback has seen England’s points drop from 24 to 22 out of a possible 36, bringing down their point percentage from 66.67% to 61.11%. As a result, England slipped from second to third place in the WTC standings, with Sri Lanka moving up to second.
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Alongside the points deduction, the England team has also been fined 10 per cent of their match fee. This is in accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which mandates a five per cent fine per over short of the required quota.
England captain Ben Stokes accepted the sanction without contest, and thus a formal hearing was not required. The charges were brought forward by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, with third umpire Ahsan Raza and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd also involved in the process. Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction.
The Test match itself was a gripping contest that stretched into the final session of Day 5. Both teams had identical first innings totals, keeping the game on an even keel. England managed to build a crucial 192-run lead in their second innings, putting India under pressure in the fourth innings chase.
Although India suffered an early batting collapse, a gritty lower-order fightback led by Ravindra Jadeja kept their hopes alive. The match came down to the wire, but England eventually managed to hold their nerve and clinch a hard-fought win. The result was a morale booster for England, but the points penalty served as a reminder of the importance of maintaining over-rate discipline in the World Test Championship cycle.
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