Ashes: England fined 100% match fees, lose WTC points for slow over rate

The International Cricket Council (ICC) fined England with 100% of their match fees and five World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate against Australia in the first Ashes Test at Gabba, Brisbane. Aussie batsman, the player of the match, Travis Head has been fined 15% of his match fee for ‘use of an audible obscenity’. 

Australia kick-started the Ashes with a thumping 9-wicket win over Joe Root and company. After bowling England for 297 in the second innings, the hosts needed 20 runs to take the series lead. 

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ICC Elite Panel Match Referee David Boon imposed the sanction on England after the visitor’s were ruled to be five overs short of the target. 

ICC Code of Conduct for Players Article 2.22 says that players are fined 20% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. As per Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short. 

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Meanwhile, Head was found to have breached Article 2.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to the “use of an audible obscenity during an International Match.” He received one demerit point. 

The batsman, who scored 152 runs in Australia’s first innings,  used inappropriate language after he was beaten on a delivery from Ben Stokes. The 27-year-old admitted the offence and accepted the sanction. 

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On Day 4, England kicked off the proceedings at 220-2. Nathan Lyon struck in the fourth over, triggering a collapse that netted eight wickets for 77 runs as the visiting team finished the match in a similar vein to how it started.

Australia took 5.1 overs to chase the target, for the loss of only makeshift opener Alex Carey (9). 

Lyon triggered England’s demise when he dismissed Dawid Malan to end a 162-run third-wicket stand. With that, he joined retired legspinner Shane Warne (708) and retired paceman Glenn McGrath (563) as the only Australians to surpass the 400-wicket barrier in test cricket.