Normality has been restored with the last two test matches to have been completed. That is to say, England beat the West Indies (who had surprsingly come from behind to level the two teams's three match series); and Australia won their second game in Bangladesh, to draw that series having lost the first game. Still, Banglasdesh's progress should be noted: they've now drawn series against both England and Australia within a year. My cricket ratings now look as follows:
India 212 (+102)
Australia 93 +7 (0)
South Africa 89 (+14)
England 72 +10 (-17)
New Zealand 53 (+3)
Pakistan 8 (-91)
Sri Lanka -18 (-71)
West Indies -58 -10 (+9)
Bangladesh -122 -6 (+50)
Zimbabwe -328 (-8)
The numbers in brackets, incidentally, are the changes over the course of the past year. The story of the past year has been India's dominance (albeit mostly acheived at home); Bangladesh's aforementioned improvment, and the failure of Pakistan to capitalise on their draw in England last summer and of Sri Lanka on their home win over Australia at around the same time. The really interesting test will be to see how India do when they next venture further afield.
The offical ICC rankings don't look so different:
India 125
South Africa 110
England 105
New Zealand 97
Australia 97 -3
Pakistan 93
Sri Lanka 90
West Indies 75
Bangladesh 74 +5
Zimbabwe 0
The immediate adjustments are different (i.e. Australia are up in my ratings but down in the official ones) because the ICC ratings are adjusted once per season, whereas my ratings are adjusted each game. The pecking order is also similar, except for the fact that the ICC ratings are harsher on Australia than mine. As an Englishman, I'm hoping the ICC have it right ahead of this winter's Ashes series. Before that, test cricket resumes when Sri Lanka visit the U.A.E, (where Pakistan will host) early next month.
Saturday, 9 September 2017
Sunday, 3 September 2017
Cricket World Ratings 3rd September 2017
Cricket, and sport in general, would be of no interest if the result was always predictable. And yet, sometimes predictability can be a self-fulfulling prophesy. Bangladesh are the youngest of the test-match playing nations; there is a large cricket-playing population there; but because their side has not been very good, few have wanted to play them in test matches. But without games, how can they get better? Yet arguably, the team currently features the world's best all-rounder, and within the last year, they have improved on a record which had seen them only previously defeat Zimbabwe and the West Indies by beating England at home, Sril Lanka away and now, in the first game between the two sides for many years, Australia as well. Their current rating of -116 is their best ever, and here's hoping that in future they get more regular chances to both demonstrate their talents, and improve them.
The fact that beating the West Indies had not been seen as much of an achievement is itself a sign of how far the West Indians, for long the world's best team, have fallen; and their abject loss to England in the first test of their current series was seen as a further sign of this. But in another unexpected result, the team have squared the series in the second match, and moreover, have done so by playing with unexpected resolve. The previously underperforming Shai Hope became the first batsmen ever to score two centuries in a first class match at Headingly, as the vistors sucessfully chased a total of over 300 to win the game. England are still favourites for the series, but in Leeds, they were unambiguously outplayed.
One thing this does do is widen India's enormous lead at the top of the current rankings, but it's good to see signs of competitiveness below:
India 212
South Africa 89
Australia 86 -29
England 62 -25
New Zealand 53
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka -18
West Indies -48+25
Bangladesh -116 +29
Zimbabwe -328
The fact that beating the West Indies had not been seen as much of an achievement is itself a sign of how far the West Indians, for long the world's best team, have fallen; and their abject loss to England in the first test of their current series was seen as a further sign of this. But in another unexpected result, the team have squared the series in the second match, and moreover, have done so by playing with unexpected resolve. The previously underperforming Shai Hope became the first batsmen ever to score two centuries in a first class match at Headingly, as the vistors sucessfully chased a total of over 300 to win the game. England are still favourites for the series, but in Leeds, they were unambiguously outplayed.
One thing this does do is widen India's enormous lead at the top of the current rankings, but it's good to see signs of competitiveness below:
India 212
South Africa 89
Australia 86 -29
England 62 -25
New Zealand 53
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka -18
West Indies -48
Bangladesh -116 +29
Zimbabwe -328
Sunday, 20 August 2017
Cricket World Ratings 20th August 2017
The West Indies were, as recently as the 1990s, the best cricket team in
the world; but for some years now, have been in a state of relative
decline. Moreover, too many players, even strong ones, come (from all over the world) to the swinging, seaming conditions of England and assume they can play test matches the same way they play the short form of the game elsewhere, in a relatively thoughtless manner. In their earlier series this summer against South Africa, England played 4 one-sided games; but they lost one (as well as winning three), and there were at least some close sessions in each of the games;the South Africans at least had the right approach. But the first test of the England-West Indies series proved disappointing; not just because the margin was one-sided, but because the West Indians weren't even remotely competitive; or even resilient. Alistair Cook very nearly outscored the entire West Indian total on his own, and he only had to bat once!
Still, at one level England won't mind; it's another win in the book, altough there is some concern about a divide opening up in test cricket, made worse by the especial strength of the strongest sides at home.
India 212
Australia 115
South Africa 89
England 87 +9
New Zealand 53
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka -18
West Indies -73 -9
Bangladesh -145
Zimbabwe -328
Still, at one level England won't mind; it's another win in the book, altough there is some concern about a divide opening up in test cricket, made worse by the especial strength of the strongest sides at home.
India 212
Australia 115
South Africa 89
England 87 +9
New Zealand 53
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka -18
West Indies -73 -9
Bangladesh -145
Zimbabwe -328
Tuesday, 15 August 2017
Cricket World Ratings 15th August 2017
India have now completed yet another win, and a 3-0 whitewash of their hosts Sri Lanka. A quick update to the world ratings confirms India's dominace
India 212 +6
Australia 115
South Africa 89
England 78
New Zealand 53
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka -18 -6
West Indies -64
Bangladesh -145
Zimbabwe -328
And the offical ranking tell a similar story, albeit on a different scale:
India 125 +2
South Africa 110
England 105
Australia 100
New Zealand 97
Pakistan 93
Sri Lanka 90 -2
West Indies 75
Bangladesh 69
Zimbabwe 0
Next up: West Indies begin a tough, and very late in the season, series in England, later this week.
India 212 +6
Australia 115
South Africa 89
England 78
New Zealand 53
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka -18 -6
West Indies -64
Bangladesh -145
Zimbabwe -328
And the offical ranking tell a similar story, albeit on a different scale:
India 125 +2
South Africa 110
England 105
Australia 100
New Zealand 97
Pakistan 93
Sri Lanka 90 -2
West Indies 75
Bangladesh 69
Zimbabwe 0
Next up: West Indies begin a tough, and very late in the season, series in England, later this week.
Monday, 7 August 2017
Cricket World Ratings 7th August 2017
England have now completed their series against South Africa, which, like all recent series in England, consisted of one-sided tests. England won three of them, the three matches in which they batted first (i.e. the team batting first won all three games); both sides are short of batsmen but have plenty of good bowling, but England prevailed thanks to their longer tail and the fact that their one batsman with genuine star quality, Joe Root, had a typically outstanding series whereas Hashim Amla, his opposite number, did not, and has possibly passed his peak. Moeen Ali's development as a bowler was a welcome sign for the hosts' future; James Anderson yet again topped the bowling average in an English series, in spite of also turing 35 during it, and England will miss him when he's gone.
Meanwhile, India seem more-or-less invincible at the moment, and have taken a 2-0 lead over their latest hosts, Sri Lanka, with one test to go. It will be interesting to see how this Indian team performs when it travels further afield - but its recent record at home and in the "near-abroad" is near impeccible.
The lastest world rankings are here: England have defeated South Africa the last time the sides met both at home and away, but overall, still trail them in the rankings:
India 206 +7
Australia 115
South Africa 89 -20
England 78 +20
New Zealand 53
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka -12 -7
West Indies -64
Bangladesh -145
Zimbabwe -328
As they also do in the official rankings, whose only point of deviance from mine is the lower position assigned to Australia. Ahead of this winter's Ashes tour, I'm not sure England should take too much comfort from that.
India 123
South Africa 110 -7
England 105 +6
Australia 100
New Zealand 97
Pakistan 93
Sri Lanka 92
West Indies 75
Bangladesh 69
Zimbabwe 0
Meanwhile, India seem more-or-less invincible at the moment, and have taken a 2-0 lead over their latest hosts, Sri Lanka, with one test to go. It will be interesting to see how this Indian team performs when it travels further afield - but its recent record at home and in the "near-abroad" is near impeccible.
The lastest world rankings are here: England have defeated South Africa the last time the sides met both at home and away, but overall, still trail them in the rankings:
India 206 +7
Australia 115
South Africa 89 -20
England 78 +20
New Zealand 53
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka -12 -7
West Indies -64
Bangladesh -145
Zimbabwe -328
As they also do in the official rankings, whose only point of deviance from mine is the lower position assigned to Australia. Ahead of this winter's Ashes tour, I'm not sure England should take too much comfort from that.
India 123
South Africa 110 -7
England 105 +6
Australia 100
New Zealand 97
Pakistan 93
Sri Lanka 92
West Indies 75
Bangladesh 69
Zimbabwe 0
Wednesday, 2 August 2017
Cricket World Ratings 2nd August 2017
In recent years, almost all test matches played in England have been one-sided, and the current series where the hosts are taking on South Africa is to date no exception: three matches in, England lead 2-1, but all three games have been won by over 200 runs. Both teams are struggling for consistency in their batting, especially once the chips are down. India, meanwhile, aren't struggling at all; and a recent win over Sri Lanka has taken them to their highest ever rating. The current ratings are as follows:
India 199 +7
Australia 115
South Africa 109 -23
England 58 +23
New Zealand 53
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka -5 -7
West Indies -64
Bangladesh -145
Zimbabwe -328
And there's one match left to play in both series.
India 199 +7
Australia 115
South Africa 109 -23
England 58 +23
New Zealand 53
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka -5 -7
West Indies -64
Bangladesh -145
Zimbabwe -328
And there's one match left to play in both series.
Tuesday, 18 July 2017
Cricket World Ratings 18th July 2017
The Champions Trophy, a one-day competition, occupied the first part of the English summer; but there are still seven scheduled tests, and the first two (of four between the home nation and South Africa) are now completed. In each game, the team batting first eventually won comfortably, England in the first game, South Africa in the second. It's an intriguing contest, England don't yet appear to have a balanced side (following on from their disastrous winter); South Africa are away from home and also possibly a couple of class players short (although there's certainly talent, as well as fragility, in both teams). The remaining two matches are a very interesting propsect.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, who recently lost to Bangladesh for the first time, very nearly completed an unwelcome double by getting into a disastrous position against Zimbabwe; but came from behind with an epic run chase. Moreoever, this is an isolated test, so Zimbabwe will not get another chance to prove their near-miss was no fluke.
So the current status of the world ratings are as follows:
India 192
South Africa 132 -10
Australia 115
New Zealand 53
England 35 +10
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka 2 +3
West Indies -64
Bangladesh -145
Zimbabwe -328 -3
And the official world ratings, which take into account the Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe test, but not the still incompelte England-South Africa Series:
India 123 +1
South Africa 117 +8
Australia 100 -8
England 99 -2
New Zealand 97 +1
Pakistan 93 -4
Sri Lanka 92 +2
West Indies 75 +6
Bangladesh 69 +3
Zimbabwe 0 -5
One odd feature of the official world ratings is that they divide up the cricket year into defined seasons, and when the new season begins, the old ratings get reset, with more dramatic changes than usual - so every team's rating has gone up or down since I last checked the list. Another point to note is that after these changes, the two lists are more in agreement than they were before. Finally, poor Zimbabwe, who are both a weak team but who also get to play little cricket, sadly no longer have a single positive result that scores them any credit in the eligible period. In my system, there is no theoretical limit to how low a team can be rated: their current score of -328 isn't quite a record (in 2008, they rated -334). But the ICC system is grounded at zero, and that's where Zimbabwe sit right now.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, who recently lost to Bangladesh for the first time, very nearly completed an unwelcome double by getting into a disastrous position against Zimbabwe; but came from behind with an epic run chase. Moreoever, this is an isolated test, so Zimbabwe will not get another chance to prove their near-miss was no fluke.
So the current status of the world ratings are as follows:
India 192
South Africa 132 -10
Australia 115
New Zealand 53
England 35 +10
Pakistan 8
Sri Lanka 2 +3
West Indies -64
Bangladesh -145
Zimbabwe -328 -3
And the official world ratings, which take into account the Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe test, but not the still incompelte England-South Africa Series:
India 123 +1
South Africa 117 +8
Australia 100 -8
England 99 -2
New Zealand 97 +1
Pakistan 93 -4
Sri Lanka 92 +2
West Indies 75 +6
Bangladesh 69 +3
Zimbabwe 0 -5
One odd feature of the official world ratings is that they divide up the cricket year into defined seasons, and when the new season begins, the old ratings get reset, with more dramatic changes than usual - so every team's rating has gone up or down since I last checked the list. Another point to note is that after these changes, the two lists are more in agreement than they were before. Finally, poor Zimbabwe, who are both a weak team but who also get to play little cricket, sadly no longer have a single positive result that scores them any credit in the eligible period. In my system, there is no theoretical limit to how low a team can be rated: their current score of -328 isn't quite a record (in 2008, they rated -334). But the ICC system is grounded at zero, and that's where Zimbabwe sit right now.
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