Cricket World Ratings 30th December 2022

 Three tests were played over the Christmas period.  India completed a 2-0 away win in Bangladesh (although the results in game two was close); Australia drubbed South Africa again, and visitors New Zealand drew against their hosts Pakistan).  My world ratings now look like this:

1. Australia     247  +11
2. England       229 
3. India         227   +6
   
4. South Africa  137  -11
5. New Zealand   125  
6. Sri Lanka      62
7. Pakistan       53      
8. West Indies    -3    
   
9. Bangladesh   -155   -5        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

Interestingly, New Zealand's prior lead of 72 points over Pakistan almost exactly balanaces Pakistan's home advantage when it came to predicting the outcome of the match: with the two sides rated equally, the actual drawer has no significant effect on either of their ratings.  Meanwhile, the official ratings now incldue the results of the series in Bangladesh, and of England's recently completed win over Pakistan:

1. Australia     130   
   
2. India         115  +1 
   
3. England       107  +4
   
4. South Africa  104 
   
5. New Zealand   100
6. Pakistan       86  -6 
7. Sri Lanka      83  
   
8. West Indies    79  
9. Bangladesh     48    
   
10. Zimbabwe       25 

There's one more match in each of the two current series to be played early in the new year.

Cricket World Ratings 20th December 2022

For England,wins in Pakistan has been historically rare events. Whitewashing their hosts 3-0, as they have just done, is virtually unprecedented, and England's latest triumph is all the more remarkable for the relative paucity of their spin attack.  Meanwhile, the Australians look in great shape, slaughtering the South Africans in just 2 days in the first test of their new series; and the Indians have won their first game in Bangladesh. My world ratings now look like this, with England now up into the top two:

1. Australia     236  +11
2. England       229  +17
3. India         222   +6
   
4. South Africa  148  -12
5. New Zealand   125  
6. Sri Lanka      62
7. Pakistan       53  -16    
8. West Indies    -3    
   
9. Bangladesh   -150   -5        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

There is also an update to the official world ratings to report, which captures Australia's recent win over the West Indies, but not yet the results of the series in Pakistan:

1. Australia     130  +2 
   
2. India         114 
   
3. South Africa  104 
   
4. England       103   
5. New Zealand   100
6. Pakistan       92 
7. Sri Lanka      83  
   
8. West Indies    79  -1 
9. Bangladesh     48    
   
10. Zimbabwe       25 

Pakistan now have to pick themselves up against New Zealand, while the series in Australia and Bangladesh will continue over the Christmas period.

Cricket World Ratings 12th December 2022

 

Australia have just completed a 2-0 drubbing of the West Indies; perhaps more remarkable is England's acheivement, winning a second consecutive test in Pakistan. It moves them into a very strong third place in my world ratings, not far behind the top two: 

1. Australia     225  +6  
   
2. India         217
3. England       212 +19
4. South Africa  160
5. New Zealand   125  
6. Pakistan       69 -20
7. Sri Lanka      62    
8. West Indies    -3  -5   
   
9. Bangladesh   -145        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

Next week, Pakistan get a chance for a shot at revenge (and the latest test was close enough to make that a real possibility; South Africa are Australia's next visitors; while India travel to Bangladesh.

Cricket World Ratings 5th December 2022

 After a few months off, test cricket is back. Australia have thumped their latest visitors (the West Indies), while England have won a test in Pakistan in spite of a very flat wicket, thanks mostly due to an extraordinarily aggressive approach to batting.  This attitude brought the team several wins while chasing over the summer at home, but to force a win batting first in Pakistan is arguably a greater achievement. In my world ratings, Australia's win is enough to put them into first place, a postion they already held in the official world ratings:  

1. Australia     219  +5   
2. India         217
3. England       193 +23
4. South Africa  160
5. New Zealand   125  
6. Pakistan       89 -22
7. Sri Lanka      62    
8. West Indies     2  -6   
   
9. Bangladesh   -145        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

A second test in both series commences at the end of the week.

Cricket World Ratings 13th September 2022

In March, England's world rating was a poor 69, following a really bad run of results.  Since then, they've won six out of seven matches, dispatching three non-trival opponents: New Zealand, India, and now South Africa, although the latter did at least manage to win one test.  The net result has been a 101 point net improvement in their world rating, and an improvement from 6th to 3rd position.  The full ratings now look as follows:

1. India         217 
   
2. Australia     214   
   
3. England       170 +13
4. South Africa  160 -13
5. New Zealand   125  
6. Pakistan      111 
7. Sri Lanka      62    
8. West Indies     8   
   
9. Bangladesh   -145        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

South Africa remain a fraction ahead of England in the official ratings, in which Australia, only in 2nd place in mine, maintain a commanding lead.  I don't know if I missed something regarding the West Indies, who appear to be much better ranked then when I last looked at the offical ratings for reasons that escpae me:

1. Australia     128 
   
2. India         114 
   
3. South Africa  104  -6
   
4. England       103  +3 
5. New Zealand   100
6. Pakistan       92 
7. Sri Lanka      83  
   
8. West Indies    80 +13 
9. Bangladesh     48    
   
10. Zimbabwe       25 

There's now a couple of months off in the test calendar: the action will resume when West Indies tour Australia in the autumn.

Cricket World Ratings 27th August 2022

 

After losing their first game against South Africa by an innings, England have retaliated with an even more emphatic victory of their own.  The finale is eagerly awaited, athough based on the first two games, it may be over rather quickly.  Although South Africa began with the higher rating, home advantage made England favourites at the start of the series: their win thus recovers most, but not all of the ground lost in their prior defeat:.

1. India         217 
   
2. Australia     214 
   
3. South Africa  178 -21 
   
4. England       152 +20
   
5. New Zealand   125  
6. Pakistan      111 
7. Sri Lanka      62    
8. West Indies     8   
   
9. Bangladesh   -145        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

And the team could yet overtake the South Africans if they can also win the final test.

Cricket World Ratings 19th August 2022

 

Following a dreadful run, England came back fighting this summer, winning 4 games in a row from what seemed like lost positions with some marvellous counter-attacking cricket. But their latest series against South Africa has begun with a hefty dose of reality, as the team crumbled in 3 days against their visitors' mighty seam attack.

1. India         217 
   
2. Australia     214 
   
3. South Africa  199 +26 
   
4. England       132 -25
   
5. New Zealand   125  
6. Pakistan      111 
7. Sri Lanka      62    
8. West Indies     8   
   
9. Bangladesh   -145        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

It's a three test series, so England still have a chance to save the series, although they'll need to up their game considerably.

Cricket World Ratings 28th July 2022

 

Sri Lanka have recently played 2 short series at home, against first Australia and then Pakistan; and in both cases, they responded to defeat in their first test by winning their second. The victory over Pakistan has exactly undone the effect of their previous defeat in my rankings, returning both teams to exactly where they were before either match.  Another way of putting this is that Pakistan's prior lead of 49 points almost exactly offset their disadvantage of playing away: a drawn series was the expected result.

1. India         217 
   
2. Australia     214 
   
3. South Africa  173 
   
4. England       157
5. New Zealand   125  
6. Pakistan      111 -23
7. Sri Lanka      62 +23   
8. West Indies     8   
   
9. Bangladesh   -145        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

The official ratings have moved slightly in Sri Lanka's favour, and against Pakistan.  Oddly, the series against Australia had not been recorded when I last consulted these, but now it has been, it hasn't affected Australia's score.  Although the official ratings, and mine, are generally in broad concurrence, their are oddities in the official system such that it's behaviour isn't always transparent:

1. Australia     128 
   
2. India         114 
   
3. South Africa  110
4. England       100 
5. New Zealand   100
6. Pakistan       92 -1
7. Sri Lanka      83 +1 
   
8. West Indies    67 
9. Bangladesh     48    
   
10. Zimbabwe       25 

The next test cricket will be played in England, when South Africa will tour starting mid August.

Cricket World Ratings 21st July 2022

 Sri Lanka have just won a great victory over Australia, and now they entertain Pakistan; but the visitors finished their first test strongly to grab the win.  My world ratings now look like this:

1. India         217 
   
2. Australia     214 
   
3. South Africa  173 
   
4. England       157 
5. Pakistan      134 +23
   
6. New Zealand   125   
7. Sri Lanka      39 -23   
8. West Indies     8   
   
9. Bangladesh   -145        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

The two sides play a second test starting on Sunday.

Cricket World Ratings 11th July 2022

Australia's form has been pretty good recently, and they won their first game on their tour of Sri Lanka, but their hosts have just got a convincing victory in the second game to level the series.  The effect on my world ratings is to restore India, by default, to first place, in spite of their recent loss to England:

1. India         217 
   
2. Australia     214 -31
   
3. South Africa  173 
   
4. England       157 
5. New Zealand   125
   
6. Pakistan      111  
7. Sri Lanka      62 +31   
8. West Indies     8   
   
9. Bangladesh   -145        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

I'm still waiting to see what effect this will have on the official rankings. Sri Lanka will have another chance to move upwards when Pakistan are their next visitors later this month.

Cricket World Ratings 5th July 2022

England's recent revival has now delivered it's fourth, and most surprising, victory.  In an extra test against India (technically the last test of last year's series, which was postponed due to COVID-19), England have pulled off their fourth consecutive, and historically largest, run chase, again at a very rapid rate of scoring.  Meanwhile, Australia have won the first of their two scheduled matches in Sri Lanka.  My world ratings now look like this, with Australia going top: 

1. Australia     245 +13
   
2. India         217 -24
   
3. South Africa  173 
   
4. England       157 +24
5. New Zealand   125
   
6. Pakistan      111  
7. Sri Lanka      31 -13   
8. West Indies     8   
   
9. Bangladesh   -145        
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

Australia's latest win hasn't been counted yet in the official ratings (which are only updated at the end of series), but the team were already on top, and the two pecking orders are now in perfect alignment:

1. Australia     128 
   
2. India         114  -5
   
3. South Africa  110
4. England       100  +3
5. New Zealand   100
6. Pakistan       93
7. Sri Lanka      82 
   
8. West Indies    67 
9. Bangladesh     48    
   
10. Zimbabwe       25 

Sri Lanka get another crack at Australia, then they will host Pakistan; subsequently, South Africa will play three tests at the end of the English summer.