Ben Stokes, England captain, has taken a cheeky dig at the ICC after his team and New Zealand were both docked important World Test Championship (WTC) points for slow over-rate offense after the first Test in Christchurch.
Both England and New Zealand were fined 15% of their match fees and docked three World Test Championship points for sustaining a sluggish over rate in the first Test of the series, which was played in Christchurch.
The three points forfeited from the WTC points table might be vital, particularly for New Zealand, which is still competing for a position in the WTC 2025 final. Meanwhile, England has already dropped out of contention.
England takes 1-0 lead in 3-Test series; Youngsters shine for visitors
It was a fantastic Test for England, who seized a vital 1-0 lead in the series. The visitors dominated the contest from the start and maintained their lead until the end. New Zealand scored 348 in the opening innings, with an important 93 from Kane Williamson.
Brydon Carse and Shoaib Bashir took four wickets each for England. In reply, England scored 499 runs, led by Harry Brook’s outstanding 171. Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes also provided significant half-centuries. Matt Henry excelled for New Zealand, scoring 4-84.
The Kiwis scored 254 in their second innings, with Williamson hitting his second half-century of the game. Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 84 off 167 balls under pressure. Brydon Carse, a fast bowler, concluded with an impressive performance of 6-42.
England won by eight wickets after chasing only 104 runs. On his Test debut, Jacob Bethell batted at number three and hit a blistering half-century. The second Test begins on December 6 in Wellington.
Ben Stokes’ jibe at ICC for docking England WTC points and fining the team
Ben Stokes was plainly disappointed by the ICC’s ruling, but he wasn’t given much of a choice. The play had concluded on Day 4, but the match referee found both teams three overs short of their allotted time.
The charges were filed by on-field umpires Rod Tucker and Ahsan Raza, as well as the third and fourth officials. David Boon, the match referee, imposed the sanctions. England presently has 102 points, with a percentage of 42.50.
On the other hand, New Zealand has 69 points and a percentage of 47.92. New Zealand and England are ranked fifth and sixth in the points standings. The recent transgression resulted in a three-point reduction.
To share his frustration, Ben Stokes posted a story on his Instagram that read: “Good on you ICC! Finished the game with 10 hours of play still left.”
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