Cricket World Ratings 28th June 2022

After a dreadful run, England have just walloped New Zealand in three straight tests.  In all matches the visitors put up a credible performance; but when the ball stopped moving, England simply smashed it out the park.  At times it didn't feel much like test cricket, but you couldn't say the approach didn't work.  Meanwhile, Bangladesh have gone to the West Indies, but lost both matches they played there.  My world ratings now look like this:

1. India         241 
   
2. Australia     232 
3. South Africa  173 
   
4. England       133 +18 
5. New Zealand   125 -18
   
6. Pakistan      111  
7. Sri Lanka      44   
8. West Indies     8 +17  
   
9. Bangladesh   -145 -17       
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

The official ratings look like this.  The decline in the West Indies ratings is something I can't explain; did I copy down the wrong number when I last assembled the list?

1. Australia     128 
   
2. India         119
3. South Africa  110
4. New Zealand   100 -11
5. England        97  +9
6. Pakistan       93
7. Sri Lanka      82 
   
8. West Indies    67 -10 
9. Bangladesh     48  -3  
   
10. Zimbabwe       25 

Australia play in Sri Lanka early next month.

Cricket World Ratings 14th June 2022

 After a dreadful run, England are actually having some fun this summer, having beaten New Zealand two matches in a row by turning on the style in the final innings.  In the 2nd test, they came back having conceded over 500 first innings runs, powering to victory with some rampant hitting on a flat pitch.  There's still one match to play, but the series is England's, and my world ratings now look like this (a third win and England would overtake their visitors):

1. India         241 
   
2. Australia     232 
3. South Africa  173
4. New Zealand   143 -21 
5. England       115 +21 
6. Pakistan      111  
7. Sri Lanka      44   
8. West Indies    -9   
   
9. Bangladesh   -128       
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

Cricket World Ratings 5th June 2022

 

After a dreadful run (11 defeats and just one victory in 17 matches) England have finally won a test, a topsy-turvey home game against New Zealand which cleared up none of their selection dilemmas but did amount to a hurrah for their old guard, with Root, Stokes, Anderson and Broad all contributing to the victory.  My cricket world ratings now look like this:

1. India         241 
   
2. Australia     232 
3. South Africa  173
4. New Zealand   164 -25   
   
5. Pakistan      111  
6. England        94 +25 
   
7. Sri Lanka      44   
8. West Indies    -9   
   
9. Bangladesh   -128       
   
10. Zimbabwe     -280    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339
    

England actually hosted New Zealand twice last year, this time it's a three match series, and it's still very much game on.  The next match starts on Friday.