With nearly three weeks remaining for the World Test Championship Final between New Zealand and England, the International Cricket Council on Friday announced the playing conditions for the game. The final between the two nations will begin at Ageas Bowl on June 18.
As per the playing conditions announced by ICC, both India and New Zealand will be crowned as joint winners in case the match ends with a draw or a tie. Additionally, a provision of a reserve day will come into play only if the Test undergoes any delay or lost time during the regular days of the final – from June 18 to June 22. Both the decisions were made prior to the commencement of the WTC in June 2018.
In the press release on Friday, ICC confirmed that the reserve day will only remain as a backup measure should there be any loss of time during the conventional time period of the Final Test match. It also implied that the special provision won’t be implemented in order to bring out a decisive result. Both the teams will be titled as winners if they manage to draw or tie by the end.
The ICC Match Official present on the field during the match will update the teams and media in the case of lost time and suggest the ways in which the Reserve Day might be used. A final verdict for the need for the Reserve Day will be announced in the final hour of the fifth day.
Additional information provided by ICC for the playing conditions of the WTC final includes changes that came into effect with the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The final will be focusing on the recently talked about Short Runs, along with other changes brought in the Player Reviews and DRS Reviews.
The WTC final, which will be played using Grade 1 Dukes cricket balls, is set to begin from June 18 to 22 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, which is expected to host around 4,000 spectators.