Cricket World Ratings 28th April 2023

 

Ireland scored nearly 700 runs in their second test against Sri Lanka; and still lost by over an innings.  Their closest game in their brief test history was their only game against England, who they dismissed for under 100 but still lost to after being bowled out in their second innings for less than 40.  They get another go in June when the two teams meet again.  Meanwhile, their rating is so low that a defeat is pretty much the expected result each time they play any reasonably good team (especially when away from home): their latest one barely alters their score:

1. Australia     239
   
2. India         222   
3. England       222  
4. South Africa  163    
5. New Zealand   154
   
6. Pakistan       53 
7. Sri Lanka      43  +1
8. West Indies   -20      
   
9. Bangladesh   -149           
   
10. Zimbabwe     -277     
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -348  -1

Cricket World Ratings 20th April 2023

 

After a long time without any test cricket, Ireland are in the middle of a sequence of three scheduled matches.  So far it hasn't gone too well for them, with big defeats against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.  My world ratings now look like this (not much altered, because the result was highly predicted):

1. Australia     239
   
2. India         222   
3. England       222  
4. South Africa  163    
5. New Zealand   154
   
6. Pakistan       53 
7. Sri Lanka      42  +2
8. West Indies   -20      
   
9. Bangladesh   -149           
   
10. Zimbabwe     -277     
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -347  -2

A second match for Ireland in Sri Lanka starts shortly.  Will they finally be able to break their duck and win a game?

Cricket World Ratings 7th April 2023

 

Since Ireland were granted test status, they haven't had the chance to play many games - in fact, priort to this year, they'd only played three, all ending in defeat. But they've just played in Bangladesh (and lost), and have two games in Sri Lanka to follow.  At some point, they will manage to win one, but for the moment, they continue to prop up my world ratings from the bottom:

1. Australia     239
   
2. India         222   
3. England       222  
4. South Africa  163    
5. New Zealand   154
   
6. Pakistan       53 
7. Sri Lanka      40  
8. West Indies   -20      
   
9. Bangladesh   -149  +6          
   
10. Zimbabwe     -277     
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -345  -6

Cricket World Ratings 20th March 2023

 

New Zealand have just won the second test against Sri Lanka, completing a 2-0 series win.  My world rankings now look like this:

1. Australia     239
   
2. India         222   
3. England       222  
4. South Africa  163    
5. New Zealand   154 +10
   
6. Pakistan       53 
7. Sri Lanka      40 -10 
8. West Indies   -20      
   
9. Bangladesh   -155          
   
10. Zimbabwe     -277     
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

The offical ratings have changed similarly, although with characteristic asymmetry:

1. Australia     122  
   
2. India         119 
3. England       106
4. South Africa  104
5. New Zealand   103 +1
6. Pakistan       88
7. Sri Lanka      84 -4
   
8. West Indies    76 
   
9. Bangladesh     46 
10. Afghanistan    40 
11. Zimbabwe       27
    
12. Ireland         0  

In early April, Ireland get a chance to lift themselves off the bottom, when they play a single test in Bangladesh.

Cricket World Ratings 13th March 2023

India's series against Australia has ended in a 2-1 home win, after the final match was drawn. Meanwhile, two travelling teams have just lost: West Indies in South Africa, and Sri Lanka in New Zealand, the former in a one-off test, the latter in the first game of a two match series.  My world rankings now look like this:

1. Australia     239  +5
   
2. India         222  -5 
3. England       222  
4. South Africa  163  +6  
5. New Zealand   144 +12
   
6. Pakistan       53 
7. Sri Lanka      50 -12 
8. West Indies   -20  -7    
   
9. Bangladesh   -155          
   
10. Zimbabwe     -277     
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

So the top three are currently extremely close, but Austrlia go back to the number one spot. Next week, the series in India and South Africa continue, while New Zealand face new visitors in the form of Sri Lanka.  The offical ratings have also been updated:

1. Australia     122 -4 
   
2. India         119 +4 
3. England       106 -1 
4. South Africa  104 +2
5. New Zealand   102 +2
6. Pakistan       88
7. Sri Lanka      88
8. West Indies    76 -2
   
9. Bangladesh     46 
10. Afghanistan    40 
11. Zimbabwe       27
    
12. Ireland         0  

This is the first time I have seen an official ratings list with all 12 teams in it; most interesting is that relative newcomers Afghanistan rate above Zimbabwe, which they don't in my list, although otherwise the pecking orders match.

The second test in New Zealand starts next week.

 

Cricket World Ratings 4th March 2023

 

England's tremendous record of recent run chases has just come to an end, but in very exciting fashion.  They fell short in their second test against New Zealand by just one run, in a remarkable game in which their hosts had earlier followed on.  Meanwhile, Australia have equalised in their series in India, while South Africa have seen off  the West Indies in the first of their games.  My world ratings now look like this:

1. Australia     234 +30
   
2. India         227 -31 
3. England       222 -26 
4. South Africa  157  +8  
5. New Zealand   132 +26
   
6. Sri Lanka      62
7. Pakistan       53      
8. West Indies   -13  -7    
   
9. Bangladesh   -155          
   
10. Zimbabwe     -277     
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

So the top three are currently extremely close, but Austrlia go back to the number one spot. Next week, the series in India and South Africa continue, while New Zealand face new visitors in the form of Sri Lanka.

Cricket World Ratings 19th February 2023

February has seen quite a lot of test cricket.  West Indies went to Zimbabwe, and were held to a draw in the first test, although they managed to win the second.  India, with home advantage, have twice beaten Australia; had the visitors managed to win, this would have been a major argument in favour of Australia's claim to be the best team in the world right now (a claim my rankings have been supportive of, but it's been close) -but instead the home side secured a win.  The third team who have been vying for the top spot, England, have meanwhile continued their fine run over the past year by winning in New Zealand, but India now sit in pole position.  The other interesting observeration is how far New Zealand have fallen; in 2021, they won the innaugaral world test championship and led the ratings with a score of 260, but it;s been harder going since then.

1. India         258 +31 
2. England       248 +19 
3. Australia     204 -31  
   
4. South Africa  149  
5. New Zealand   106 -19
   
6. Sri Lanka      62
7. Pakistan       53      
8. West Indies    -6  -3    
   
9. Bangladesh   -155          
   
10. Zimbabwe     -277  +3    
    
11. Afghanistan  -303 
    
12. Ireland      -339

The most up-to-date version of the official rankings looks like this:

1. Australia     126 -4 
   
2. India         115 
3. England       107
4. South Africa  102 -2
5. New Zealand    99 -1
   
6. Pakistan       88 +2
7. Sri Lanka      88 +5
8. West Indies    78 -1
9. Bangladesh     46 -2 
   
10. Zimbabwe       27 +2

The lastest results from India and New Zealand don't contribute to these scores, which are updated on series as opposed to match results (and neither series is yet complete). A third series will start before the end of the month, with South Africa hosting the West Indies.