England given heavy penalty for slow over rate

England have been docked a whopping five World Test Championship points for their diabolical over rate against Australia in the opening Vodafone Ashes Test.

The ICC came down hard on Joe Root's side, also docking 100 per cent of their match fee. England players have been reported to earn GBP14,500 (about AUD$27,000) each in match fees per Test.

Match referee David Boon, the former Australia batter, imposed the penalty on England after their nine-wicket thrashing at the Gabba that came shortly after lunch on the fourth day.

Under the ICC's playing conditions for 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, as well as being docked a World Test Championship point for each over short.

On the second day of the Test, which had an extended early session with 98 overs due to be bowled, England got through only 84.

Points lost to over-rate offences can have dire consequences, as Australia know full well, having been docked a point in the Boxing Day Test against India last summer that eventually cost them a place in the inaugural World Test Championship final played earlier this year.

It takes England's points deduction to seven, following penalties earlier this year against India in their home series against Virat Kohli's side, and leaves them ahead of only Bangladesh on the current World Test Championship standings.

Australia, with a victory in their only Test match played in the current World Test Championship cycle, are sitting top alongside Sri Lanka, who have both of their Tests in the current period.

England's predicament could have been even worse, according to former umpire Simon Taufel.

"If you cast your mind back to day two where England only bowled 84 overs in the day across seven hours, by my calculations they might be seven or eight overs behind the over rate," Taufel, a five-time winner of the ICC's Umpire of the Year award, said on the Seven broadcast before England were bowled out on Saturday.

"What that might mean in the second innings here, is if Australia only has a short amount of runs to get, then England won't have much time to make up that over rate and, given the World Test Championship points and the way that the system works, they'll be docked one point for every over short in the match in their bowling over rate."

There was also a hit to the hip pocket for Australia's Gabba centurion Travis Head, who was fined 15 per cent of his match fee for an audible obscenity that was broadcast by the stump mic during his innings of 152.

Head was beaten by a delivery from Ben Stokes and swore, which was broadcast, with a first demerit point added to his disciplinary record.

Vodafone Men's Ashes

Squads

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

England: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Schedule

First Test: Australia won by nine wickets

Second Test: December 16-20, Adelaide Oval

Third Test: December 26-30, MCG

Fourth Test: January 5-9, SCG

Fifth Test: January 14-18, Blundstone Arena