(Sports Correspondent: Imran SohailEngland’s Win Over New Zealand Impacts World Test Championship Standings
By Arooj Fatima | Published Jun 8, 2026
England secured a 115-run victory over New Zealand in the opening Test at Lord’s, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and improving its position in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 standings.
The match proved challenging for batters, with bowlers dominating throughout. England posted 140 runs in their first innings before restricting New Zealand to 113, gaining an important early advantage.
In the second innings, England improved their batting performance and scored 226 runs, setting New Zealand a target of 254. The visitors were unable to build a successful chase and were dismissed for 138, giving England a convincing win.
Fast bowler Gus Atkinson played a significant role in the victory, claiming five wickets in New Zealand’s second innings.
Updated WTC Standings
Following the result, England moved to 50 points in the World Test Championship table. Despite the win, they remain seventh in the standings with a points percentage (PCT) of 37.88.
New Zealand slipped to fourth place after recording its first defeat of the current WTC cycle. The team now has 28 points from four matches with a points percentage of 58.33.
Australia continue to lead the standings after a strong start to the cycle, while South Africa and Sri Lanka occupy second and third positions respectively.
Bangladesh and New Zealand are level on points, with New Zealand maintaining a higher position based on tiebreak criteria. India remain sixth, while Pakistan and West Indies occupy the bottom two spots.
ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 Standings
| Rank | Team | Played | 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 |
The race for a place in the World Test Championship final remains open, with several teams still having significant opportunities to improve their standings during the ongoing cycle.
