Australia and England fined by Apex Cricket Council along point-deduction after 1st Ashes Test

Both England and Australia have been punished by the Apex Cricket Council after the completion of the first Test Ashes 2023 at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham. Both teams have lost two from their tally of points of the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle for maintaining slow over rates during the Test match. Apart from that, players from both sides were also fined 40 per cent of their match fees.

Member of the Elite Panel of the Match Referees of Cricket Council, Andy Pycroft imposed the sanctions after taking time allowances into considering both teams were ruled to be two overs short of their targets. However, Australia skipper Pat Cummins and England skipper Ben Stokes have accepted the sanctions and there will be no formal hearing.

According to Article 2.22 of the Cricket Council Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. Adding to this, Article 16.11.2 of the World Test Championship playing conditions, states that sides are penalized one point for each over short. Consequently, two World Test Championship points were deducted from both teams’ points total.

Australia registered a thrilling victory in the first Test

Talking about the match, England declared their first innings on 393 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. Joe Root was the top scorer with 118 runs off 152 balls. In reply, Australia was bowled out for 386 runs, powered by Usman Khawaja’s knock of 141 runs off 321 balls, trailing by just 7 runs in the first innings.

Coming to bat in the second innings, England were bowled out for 273 runs due to handful knocks by Root, Harry Brook and the skipper Ben Stokes. After that, there was a tough fight between both teams when Australia were chasing the target. The visitors were taking the score further, while England was taking wickets at regular wickets. After that, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon put up an unbeaten partnership of 55 runs for the ninth wicket and gave Australia a thrilling victory.