England and Australia fined and docked points by ICC following first Ashes Test

21 June 2023 , 10:19

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England and Australia fined and docked points by ICC following first Ashes Test

England and Australia have been hit with fines and points deductions for slow over-rates in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

The enthralling series opener, which Australia won by just two wickets, saw both sides fall short of their over-rate targets. As a result, the two teams have been fined 40% of their match fees and docked two World Test Championship points.

"Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanctions after both teams were ruled to be two overs short of their targets after time allowances were taken into consideration," a statement read. "Australia captain Pat Cummins and England counterpart Ben Stokes accepted the sanctions, meaning there was no need for formal hearings."

This Test was the first of the new World Test Championship cycle, with Australia currently the reigning champions after beating India by 209 runs in the last final. Australia's points deduction leaves Cummins' side with ten points, while England have -2.

Reflecting on the dramatic defeat, Stokes said: "Losing sucks. We always want to win. We are absolutely devastated that we have lost. The lads are up there in absolute pieces, especially Robbo [Ollie Robinson] and Broady [Stuart Broad] who put in an unbelievable shift there.

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"But if that's not attracting people to the game we love then I don't know what will. There are still four games left. Keep following us and we will keep trying to do what we do. I am not going to change the way I have gone about my cricket because it is the Ashes."

Cummins, meanwhile, branded the win the greatest of his career. "Win or lose we are pretty comfortable with how we go about it," he said. "We've been really good for the last 20 Test matches, two years. Winning is nice. But we are at our best when we play at our own pace and tempo.

Australia and England have been fined and docked World Test Championship points (Stu Forster - ECB/ECB via Getty Images)

"The wicket probably slowed down that tempo, but we saw the way Uzzy managed his way through an innings and it was pretty special. We're a stable team. We know what we need to do to be at our best and we'll keep doing it.

"You just need that belief that you can win from anywhere…that belief that anyone is a match-winner and you can be the guy to step up and win. When you are in the backyard as a kid, you wish to be in these moments and going out there in the middle of an Ashes series."

Player of the match Usman Khawaja, however, perhaps summed the game up best, saying: "Not going to lie, I was absolutely s***ing myself for the last five minutes there," he said. "It's so heart-wrenching. An unbelievable game."

Matthew Cooper