Australia and England penalised for slow over rates during first Ashes Test

Each team has also been docked two World Test Championship points, leaving England in minus figures for the new cycle. The players have been fined 40 per cent of their match fees

Australia and England's players have been fined 40 per cent of their match fees as a punishment for slow over rates in the first Ashes Test.

Each team has also been docked two World Test Championship points, leaving England in minus figures for the new cycle.

The two sides were judged to have been two overs short of their targets once time allowances had been factored in. 

^{Moeen Ali was fined 25 per cent of his match fee for using a drying agent earlier in the game [screengrab/Sky Sports]}

Both captains, Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes, pleaded guilty to the offences therefore there was no need for any formal hearings.

The charges were levelled by the officiating team at Edgbaston: Ashan Raza, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, and Mike Burns.

Moeen Ali, who had earlier in the match been fined 25 per cent of his fee for the unauthorised use of a drying agent on his hands, will take home a little over a third of the normal payment for a Test.

Related Topics

• ASK GEORGE! Is the job of the England team to win Tests or to entertain?
• Ben Stokes: "I'm sat here as the losing captain but I couldn't be more proud"
• Defeat will not change an England side whose only thought is how to win
• Usman Khawaja: "It was by far my favourite game of all time"
• England must quickly learn that entertainment is great but results matter