Mumbai, December 4: England Test captain Ben Stokes hit back at the International Cricket Council (ICC) following a slow-over-rate penalty on his team after the first Test against New Zealand at Christchurch, claiming that the match was finished with "10 hours of play still left". The race to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final gained a lot of spice and intensity as New Zealand and England were docked three points each for maintaining a slow over-rate in the opening Test of their three-match series. New Zealand and England National Cricket Teams Docked Three Points Each By ICC After NZ vs ENG 1st Test 2024, Race to WTC 2023-25 Final Intensifies.

On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced sanctions against New Zealand and England for failing to maintain the required over-rate during the series opener in Christchurch. Taking to Instagram, Stokes said, "Good on you ICC (accompanied by three shrugging emojis). "Finished the game with 10 hours of play still left."

Ben Stokes Instagram Post

The ICC stated, "New Zealand and England were both found to be three overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration, with sides penalised one point for each over they were found short."

England skipper Stokes and New Zealand captain Tom Latham accepted the charges and the proposed sanctions, negating the need for a formal hearing. The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Rod Tucker, third umpire Adrian Holdstock, and fourth official Kim Cotton, while the sanctions were imposed by David Boon of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. NZ vs ENG 2nd Test 2024: England Cricket Team Announces Unchanged Playing XI Against New Zealand in Wellington.

England, already out of contention for next year's final, secured an 8-wicket victory in Christchurch. They are currently in the sixth spot with 10 wins, nine losses and a draw in 20 Tests, translating to a PCT of 42.50. However, the sanctions dealt a significant blow to New Zealand's chances. The inaugural WTC champions dropped from the joint fourth spot to fifth in the standings.

Following the penalty, New Zealand's points percentage stands at 47.92 per cent. Even if they win their remaining two Tests against England, their best possible finish is a points percentage of 55.36 per cent. Their fate in reaching the WTC final will depend on the outcomes of other matches.