South African opener Lizelle Lee is tied with Mithali Raj with 762 rating points, while Australia’s Alyssa Healy is six points behind at third place.
New Delhi: India One Day International women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj remained unchallenged at the top of the latest ICC Women’s One Day International (ODI) player rankings, which were announced on Tuesday. South Africa opener Lizelle Lee’s unbeaten 91 in the opening match of their series against the West Indies saw her being elevated to joint-first place among batters.
Lee, who ascended to the top of the rankings for the first time in June 2018 and then again in March this year, scored 18 runs in the second match, which was also factored in, in this week’s rankings update. At 762 rating points, she is placed on par with India’s Mithali Raj. Australia’s Alyssa Healy who was ranked six points behind, was placed in the third position.
South Africa’s captain Dane van Niekerk also advances in rankings
Dane van Niekerk, South Africa’s captain, has advanced one rank to the 25th among batters, and six places to 19th among bowlers after taking two wickets apiece in the first two matches of the series, which South Africa won by eight and nine wickets, respectively.
Trisha Chetty (up one position to 44th) and Lara Goodall (up four places to 51st) are the other South African batters to advance, while Laura Wolvaardt (up 14 places to 10th) gained 14 points and closed the gap on India opener Smriti Mandhana by four rating points.
Tumi Sekhukhune (up two places to 35th) and Ayabonga Khaka (up one position to seventh) rose in the bowlers’ list.
Ratings continue to change for many players
West Indian all-rounder Deandra Dottin moved up one spot among batters and bowlers. In the batters’ rankings, Kycia Knight climbed seven spots to 55th, and Britney Cooper moved up five spots to 71st. In the bowlers’ rankings, Hayle Matthews moved up five spots to 27th.
Zimbabwe‘s Modester Mupachikwa entered the top 20 for batters in the T20I Player rankings, which took into account the performances in the final match of the England-New Zealand series and 13 matches of the ICC women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier. She gained 10 slots for her 133 runs in four innings.
Mary-Anne Musonda, who was voted Player of the Match after hitting an undefeated 52 against Tanzania, climbed 14 places to 52nd place on the list, which is topped by India’s hard-hitting opener Shafali Verma. Fatuma Kibasu of Tanzania (53rd) and Immaculate Nakisuuyi of Uganda (55th) re-entered the batters’ rankings.
England’s Sarah Glenn rose one place to second slot in the bowling rankings, while New Zealand off-spinner Leigh Kasperek (up seven places to 15th) and all-rounder Jess Kerr (up eight places to 58th) also improved their positions.
