Australia batsman Steve Smith on Wednesday reclaimed the number one position in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings for the first time since the Boxing Day Test last year. He takes over from New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who is set to lead his team in the ICC World Test Championship final against India at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton from Friday. Williamson, who missed the second Test against England at Edgbaston due to injury after scoring 13 runs in the drawn first Test at Lord’s, has slipped five points behind Smith’s 891 rating points and is second in the batters’ list.
This means Smith has been the best player in the world for 167 Tests, trailing behind Garry Sobers (189 matches) and Viv Richards (179 matches). Matt Henry’s player of the match effort (three wickets in each innings) has propelled him to a career-high 307 points and 64th place, while Ajaz Patel now has 323. Devon Conway is in equal 61st place, continuing his strong run.
England’s second innings total against New Zealand at home was their lowest, but Dan Lawrence’s unbroken 81 in the first innings has moved him up 16 places to a career-high 396 points.
Quinton de Kock is joint-12th with Cheteshwar Pujara in the latest men’s weekly update, which also includes performances from the first Test between South Africa and the West Indies in St Lucia. His compatriot Adrian Markram has risen two spots to 14th.
De Kock has climbed 11 spots to his highest ranking since December 2019, after batting an undefeated 141 to assist his team win by an innings and 63 runs.
After the big triumph, South Africa’s speed bowlers have also made fast progress.
After a five-wicket haul in the second innings, Kagiso Rabada has moved up two places to seventh place, Anrich Nortje has moved up into the top 30 for the first time in his career after taking seven wickets in the match, and Lungi Ngidi has moved up 14 places to 44th place with a first-innings five-wicket haul.
