England misery deepens: ICC deducts 12 WTC points after crushing New Zealand defeat at The Oval

England have been fined 50 per cent of their match fee and docked 12 points in the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) rankings for sustaining a slow overhaul during their defeat to New Zealand in the second Test at The Oval.According to the ICC report, England were found guilty of falling short of the required rate of 12 overs. As a result, their players were fined 50 percent of their match fees and the team lost 12 WTC points.The penalty leaves England on 38 points in the WTC table. They remain seventh in the table, but their points percentage has dropped from 34.72 to 26.38.Under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which covers minimum offenses with an excessive cost, players are fined five percent of their match fee for each that their side does not play within the stipulated time.Article 16.11.2 of the World Test Championship playing conditions states that teams lose one championship point for every over they miss, resulting in a 12-point deduction for England.The penalty comes after England suffered a 253-run defeat to New Zealand at The Oval. The visitors bowled out England for 209 in just 48 minutes on the fifth and final day.The result leveled the series after England won the first Test at Lord’s to take the decider in Nottingham on Thursday.England went on to 182/5 on the final day while chasing 463, but New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry went through the lower order. Henry took the last five wickets to finish with figures of 6/29 in the innings.His match figures of 11/109 after 5/80 in the first innings are the best by a New Zealand bowler against England in a Test match. It was also the first 10-wicket match of Henry’s 35-Test career.The victory was only New Zealand’s seventh Test win in England in 95 years of touring and their second at The Oval, the first coming in 1999.