Rankings goal for BLACKCAPS

BLACKCAPS success in the Australia Tri-Series will stave off bids by resurgent India and Sri Lanka in the ICC ODI Championship Rankings.

India’s successes in the first two matches of its ODI series against the West Indies have given Rahul Dravid’s side the prospect of climbing back up to fourth place.

The BLACKCAPS hold fourth place, ahead of the Sri Lankans by fractions of a point, and just one ranking point ahead of Dravid’s team.

Daniel Vettori is the leader of four bowlers in the Top 20 ODI bowlers, up one place to fourth position and now just short of his best-ever haul of rating points.

Shane Bond (10th), Kyle Mills (14th) and all-rounder Jacob Oram (19th) are the other trailblazers.

Further down the tables, all-rounder James Franklin and Ross Taylor have made significant gains.

Franklin has risen 22 spots to 51st in the bowling list, while Taylor is into the top 100 batsmen for the first time, climbing 32 places to 78th position.

Captain Stephen Fleming, in 30th spot, is his team’s top batsman.

Nathan Astle, who has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect, finishes his career in 35th position.

Oram, whose 86 did so much to help his side to a 90-run win over England in Adelaide on Tuesday, has risen 11 places to joint 71st in the bating list.


LG ICC ODI Championship
(At 27 January 2007)
Australia 134
South Africa 126
Pakistan 112
New Zealand 109
Sri Lanka 109
India 108
West Indies 101
England 99
Bangladesh 41
Zimbabwe 23
Kenya 0