England fined 100% of their match fee, penalised 5 WTC points for slow over-rate

Cricket Desk: After losing the first Ashes Test to Australia by nine wickets at the Gabba, England have now been fined 100% of their match fees and see a deduction of five ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points for maintaining a slow over-rate.

Match Referee David Boon imposed the sanction after Joe Root's side was found to be five overs short of the target with time allowances taken into consideration.

In accordance with Article 2.22 of the 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.

Also, as per Article 16.11.2 of the World Test Championship playing conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short. Accordingly, five World Test Championship points have been deducted from England's points total.

It is the second time that Joe Root and Co. have been hit by the slow over-rate penalties in 2021. In August this year, England, along with India, were fined 40% of their match fees and docked two WTC points for being two overs behind the required rate in the first Test at Trent Bridge, which ended in a draw.

Meanwhile, Australia batter Travis Head, who was the player of the match in Australia winning the first Test, has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct.

Head, who scored a counter-attacking 152 off 148 balls, was found to have breached Article 2.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to 'use of an audible obscenity during an International Match'.

Due to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Head, this being his first offence in a 24-month period. The incident occurred in the 77th over of Australia's first innings on Thursday, when Head used inappropriate language after he was beaten on a delivery from Ben Stokes.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player's match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Head admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by the Match Referee and ratified by the ICC Cricket Operations department as per the Covid-19 interim playing regulations. There was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker, third umpire Paul Wilson and fourth official Sam Nogajski levelled the charges.

Australia won the first Test of the Ashes by 9 wickets on Saturday. The hosts broke through Joe Root and Dawid Malan's resistance early on day four, triggering a collapse of the rest of the batting line-up.

After bowling out the tourists for 297, Australia knocked off required 20 runs despite losing Alex Carey as Marcus Harris finished the match with a four through point.

The next Test of the Ashes is set to commence on December 16 at the Adelaide Oval in a day-night affair.