New Zealand Slips to Fourth in ICC World Test Championship After England Loss

England's captain Ben Stokes walks onto the field before the start of play on the fourth day of the Test match between England and New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) New Zealand slipped from second to fourth place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings after a 115-run defeat to England in the first Test at Lord’s on Sunday. The result was a setback for the Black Caps in their bid to stay among the top contenders for a place in the WTC final in June 2027, where only the top two teams will qualify. The match was shaped by rain interruptions and a difficult Lord’s pitch that offered uneven bounce. England were bowled out for just 140 in their first innings, but their bowlers hit back strongly by dismissing New Zealand for 113 to take a slender lead. In the second innings, England recovered well, with Emilio Gay scoring a crucial 57 to help the hosts post 226 and set a challenging target. New Zealand struggled with the bat throughout the contest. Rain limited play on the third day, but the visitors failed to capitalise when action resumed. Starting day four at 55 for five, they were eventually bowled out for 138, with Glenn Phillips top-scoring with an unbeaten 44. Pacer Ollie Robinson played a key role in England’s victory. After taking five wickets in New Zealand’s first innings, he also chipped in with 29 valuable runs and claimed 2 for 38 in the second innings. The win was a timely boost for England after their recent 4-1 Ashes series loss to Australia. However, despite the victory, England remain seventh in the WTC standings with four wins from 11 matches. Australia stay on top; India and Pakistan struggle Australia continue to lead the WTC table with 84 points and a points percentage of 87.50, having won seven of their eight matches. South Africa are second, followed by Sri Lanka in third. New Zealand are fourth with a points percentage of 58.33, level with Bangladesh but ahead on tiebreakers. India are sixth with 52 points and a points percentage of 48.15, while England sit seventh. Pakistan are second-last in ninth place with just one win from four matches, ahead of only West Indies. Poll Can New Zealand still finish in the top two of the WTC standings? Yes, definitely No, it will be challenging ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 Updated Standings Rank Team Matches Won Lost Drawn Points PCT 1 Australia 8 7 1 0 84 87.50 2 South Africa 4 3 1 0 36 75.00 3 Sri Lanka 2 1 0 1 16 66.67 4 New Zealand 4 2 1 1 28 58.33 5 Bangladesh 4 2 1 1 28 58.33 6 India 9 4 4 1 52 48.15 7 England 11 4 6 1 50 37.88 8 Pakistan 4 1 3 0 4 8.33 9 West Indies 8 0 7 1 4 4.17 End of Article