Sports

England Drop to Third in WTC After Over Rate Penalty at Lord’s

By Neelesh Pandey - 16 Jul 2025 12:46 PM

England have been docked points in the World Test Championship (WTC) for maintaining a slow over rate during the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s. The deduction has caused them to slip to third place in the current WTC standings.

According to the ICC, England fell short of the required over rate and were penalized one point for each over they failed to bowl in time. They were also fined a portion of their match fee, in line with standard regulations. The over rate was assessed based on the actual playing time and overs bowled, excluding stoppages and allowances.

This penalty affects England’s progress in the WTC cycle, where every point is crucial in the race to the final. Despite winning the Lord’s Test convincingly, the deduction has narrowed their lead over other contenders. Australia and India now sit ahead in the standings, with England closely trailing behind.

The second Test of the series will be held at Trent Bridge, where England will look to not only continue their strong performance but also avoid further penalties that could impact their WTC campaign.