England and Australia have been fined 40% of their match fees and deducted two World Test Championship points for slow over-rates in their thrilling Ashes opener at Edgbaston.
Despite serving up a breathless finale in Birmingham, when the tourists snatched a two-wicket victory on a see-saw fifth evening, the teams have been punished for failing to get through their overs quickly enough. The captains, Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins, pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanctions, so there was no need for formal hearings, the International Cricket Council said.
As the match was the first in the new WTC cycle, it means England’s reward for the attacking tactics that moved the game towards its dramatic conclusion despite long rain delays is to sit on minus two in the table. Australia picked up 12 points for their Cummins-inspired win, so drop back to 10.
All 22 players have lost 40% of their match fees, which equates to about £6,000 for the England team.
Meanwhile, England’s Joe Root has leapfrogged Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head to top the Test batting rankings. The Yorkshireman’s hit 118 not out and 46 at Edgbaston , which propelled him five places up the ICC rankings.
Labuschagne dropped two places to third after making 13, including a first-ball duck in the first innings, with Head falling to fourth despite a first-innings half-century. The Edgbaston man of the match, Usman Khawaja, the fourth Australian in the top 10 along with Smith, moved up two places to seventh after scores of 141 and 65. England’s next-best performer is Harry Brook, who rose five spots to 13th on the back of 32 and 46.
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Jimmy Anderson retained his place as the No 2 bowler, despite a disappointing display while Ollie Robinson moved into the top five.