Australia and South Africa will be off to Lord’s this summer after securing their spots in the World Test Championship final.
South Africa booked their place with a nervy two-wicket win over Pakistan at Centurion in late December, while Australia ensured they will be the Proteas’ opponents with a six-wicket victory over India in the New Year Test at Sydney.
It will now be the Proteas versus the Baggy Greens at the Home of Cricket from June 11, live on Sky Sports, with Australia looking for successive titles after beating India at The Kia Oval in 2023.
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South Africa have guaranteed their place in next year’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s after a two-wicket victory over Pakistan in Centurion
Pat Cummins’ side’s triumph at the SCG ended India and Sri Lanka’s hopes of making the final.
England were already out of contention due to too many defeats and over-rate indiscretions across the two-year cycle.
How does the points system work?
Each of the nine sides – Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies – play six series (three at home and three away).
With the teams not playing an equal number of matches, the table is determined by percentage of points won, with the 12 points awarded for a win getting you 100 per cent, the six for a tie 50 per cent and the four for a draw 33.3 per cent.
If you lose a game, you leave with nothing.
Ben Stokes’ England are out of the running to reach the World Test Championship final
Teams can lose points for over-rate infringements, as England and Australia did during The 2023 Ashes and, most recently, the series-opening Test against New Zealand.
England were deducted a whopping 19 points in total for slow over-rates in the first, second, fourth and fifth Tests of the 2023 Ashes and then a further three against New Zealand in Christchurch in late 2024, taking their total to a staggering 22 overall.