World Test Championship Explained: Points System, Rules and Past Finals
The ICC World Test Championship turns two years of Test series into one league table, with the top two meeting in a one-off final. South Africa are the reigning champions after beating Australia by five wickets at Lord’s in June 2025. The current cycle runs from 2025 to 2027 and ends with a final at Lord’s in June 2027.
The table can look strange at first, because it is ranked by percentage rather than points. Here is how it works, with every final so far. Live Test scores are on our cricket hub.
The World Test Championship in brief
- Teams: 9 Test nations. Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe are not part of the competition.
- Length: two years per cycle
- Schedule: each team plays six series, three at home and three away, of between two and five Tests
- Ranking: by percentage of points won, not total points
- Final: the top two play a single Test, with a reserve day
How points work
Every Test is worth the same 12 points, however long the series.
| Result | Points | Share of points available |
|---|---|---|
| Win | 12 | 100% |
| Tie | 6 | 50% |
| Draw | 4 | 33.33% |
| Loss | 0 | 0% |
So a two-Test series has 24 points on offer and a five-Test series has 60.
Why the table uses a percentage
Teams do not play the same number of Tests. England and Australia often play five-match series, while other teams play mostly two- and three-Test series. Ranking on raw points would favour teams that simply play more. Instead, the table shows percentage of points won: the points a team has earned divided by the points it has contested.
For example, a team that wins two Tests, draws one and loses one has earned 28 points out of a possible 48. Its percentage is 28 ÷ 48 = 58.33%.
Slow over-rate penalties
Teams must bowl their overs on time. For every over a side is behind the required rate at the end of a match, it loses one championship point. These deductions have decided places in the past, so they matter in a tight race.
Every World Test Championship final
| Cycle | Winner | Runner-up | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–25 | South Africa | Australia | Won by 5 wickets | Lord’s, London |
| 2021–23 | Australia | India | Won by 209 runs | The Oval, London |
| 2019–21 | New Zealand | India | Won by 8 wickets | Southampton |
2021: New Zealand, the first champions
The first final was hit by rain and went into the reserve day, where Kyle Jamieson’s bowling and Kane Williamson’s unbeaten fifty saw New Zealand past India.
2023: Australia complete the set
Travis Head and Steve Smith both scored centuries at The Oval, and Australia’s win made them the first men’s team to hold every ICC title at once.
2025: South Africa’s first ICC trophy since 1998
Chasing 282 at Lord’s, South Africa got home by five wickets, built on Aiden Markram’s century. It ended a long wait for a major title.
How to read the live table
Early in a cycle the percentages swing wildly because teams have played so few Tests. Look at how many points each side still has to play for: a team on 50% with two five-Test series left can still overtake a team on 65% whose schedule is nearly finished.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a Test win worth in the World Test Championship?
12 points. A draw gives 4 points to each side and a tie 6.
Who won the last World Test Championship final?
South Africa, who beat Australia by five wickets at Lord’s in 2025.
Where is the next World Test Championship final?
At Lord’s in June 2027, between the top two teams of the 2025–27 cycle.
Why don’t all Test teams play in the WTC?
Only nine of the twelve Test nations take part. Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe play Tests outside the championship.
For white-ball cricket, see the Cricket World Cup winners list and the T20 World Cup winners list.
Sources: ICC, 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship. Last checked September 2026.
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