England were fined 50 per cent of their match fee and docked 12 points in the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) rankings for maintaining a slow over rate during their defeat of New Zealand in the second Test at The Oval.According to a press release from the ICC, England were found guilty of being 12 over the required rate. As a result, their players were fined 50 percent of their match fees and the team lost 12 WTC points. The penalty leaves England on 38 points in the WTC table. They remain seventh in the standings, but their points percentage has dropped from 34.72 to 26.38.Under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which covers the minimum over-fee offences, players are fined five percent of the match fee for each time their side fails to bowl within the allotted time.Article 16.11.2 of the World Test Championship playing conditions states that teams lose one championship point for each time they come up short, leading to England’s deduction of 12 points.The punishment comes after England suffered a 253-run defeat to New Zealand at the Oval. The visitors bowled out England for 209 in just 48 minutes on the fifth and final day.The result leveled the series after England had won the first Test at Lord’s, setting up a decider in Nottingham starting on Thursday.England resumed on the final day at 182/5 while chasing 463, but New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry runs through the lower order. Henry claimed the last five wickets, finishing with figures of 6/29 in the innings.His match figures of 11/109, after 5/80 in the first innings, are the best by a New Zealand bowler against England in a Test match. It was also the first 10-wicket match of Henry’s 35-Test career.
Which aspect of the recent Test match did you find most impressive?
The win was just New Zealand’s seventh Test win in England in 95 years of touring and their second at the Oval, the first coming in 1999.
