Ben Stokes: England Test captain Ben Stokes hit back at the International Cricket Council (ICC) following a slow-over-rate penalty on his team after the first Test against New Zealand at Christchurch, claiming that the match was finished with “10 hours of play still left.”
Slow Over-Rate Penalty For Both Teams
The race to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final gained a lot of spice and intensity as New Zealand and England were docked three points each for maintaining a slow over-rate in the opening Test of their three-match series.
ICC Announces Sanctions Against Both Teams
On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced sanctions against New Zealand and England for failing to maintain the required over-rate during the series opener in Christchurch. As a result, both teams were fined 15 per cent of their match fees and penalised three crucial WTC competition points, adding another layer of intrigue to the race for the final.
Stokes Responds On Social Media
Taking to Instagram, Stokes said, “Good on you ICC (accompanied by three shrugging emojis). ‘Finished the game with 10 hours of play still left.'”
Details Of The ICC’s Slow Over-Rate Penalty
The ICC stated, “New Zealand and England were both found to be three overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration, with sides penalised one point for each over they were found short.” England skipper Stokes and New Zealand captain Tom Latham accepted the charges and the proposed sanctions, negating the need for a formal hearing.
Charges And Sanctions
The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Rod Tucker, third umpire Adrian Holdstock, and fourth official Kim Cotton, while the sanctions were imposed by David Boon of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.
Impact On England’s World Test Championship Standings
England, already out of contention for next year’s final, secured an 8-wicket victory in Christchurch. They are currently in the sixth spot with 10 wins, nine losses, and a draw in 20 Tests, translating to a PCT of 42.50.
Penalty Hits New Zealand’s WTC Chances
However, the sanctions dealt a significant blow to New Zealand’s chances. The inaugural WTC champions dropped from the joint fourth spot to fifth in the standings. Following the penalty, New Zealand’s points percentage stands at 47.92 per cent.
Even if they win their remaining two Tests against England, their best possible finish is a points percentage of 55.36 per cent. Their fate in reaching the WTC final will depend on the outcomes of other matches.
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