Cricket: Mathew's hundred moves him minutely in ICC rankings

(ICC) - Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews was amongst the many batters to climp up in the ICC Test player ranking after he scored an aggregate of 162-runs, across two innings, including a hundred in vain in their losing first test, against New Zealand on Monday. 

The veteran moved up the batting rankings from 17th to 19th, courtesy to his scores of 47 and 115 taking him from 19th to 17th position.

Playing a test match after months, in the second essay especially, the former captain was straightaway under pressure to push the lead to it's maximum in a bid to win the match and keep their World Test Championships Final slot alive. 

One of the seniors and stalwarts in the side, he did rise to the occassion hitting a heroic hundred, however, on a futile note when his suffered a thrilling defeat, which ended their hopes and chances. 

Meanwhile, Australia's opener Usman Khawaja and New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell also made notable gains in the Men’s Test Player Rankings after smashing fine centuries over the past week.

Khawaja’s score of 180 in the drawn fourth Test against India in Ahmedabad has lifted him two spots to seventh position and to a career-best 815 rating points while Mitchell’s knocks of 102 and 81 in the epic victory over Sri Lanka in Christchurch has helped him reach a career-best eighth position as he touches the 800-point mark for the first time.

The high-scoring match at Ahmedabad also saw former India captain Virat Kohli advance seven places to 13th position after his Player of the Match effort of 186 while Australia all-rounder Cameroon Green (up 11 places to 26th) and India’s Shubman Gill (up 17 places to 46th) have also progressed after notching centuries.

In the latest weekly update that also considers performances in the second Test between South Africa and the West Indies in Johannesburg, Temba Bavuma’s match-winning 172 for the home side has lifted him 14 slots to a career best 15th position.

In the bowlers’ rankings, India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has grabbed sole possession of the top spot after his haul of six for 91, 10 rating points ahead of James Anderson. Another bowler to advance is New Zealand seamer Tim Southee, who took five for 64 and two for 57, going from 18th to 12th position.

In the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, Bangladesh batter Najmul Hossain Shanto’s scores of 51, 46 not out and 47 not out not only won him the Player of the Series award at home against England but have also lifted him 68 places to 16th position. 

In the ODI Rankings, Nepal batters Rohit Paudel (up four places to 55th) and Aasif Sheikh (up 16 places to 62nd) and leg-spin bowler Sandeep Lamichhane (up five places to 21st) are among those to progress owing to their performances in matches of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in Kirtipur, Nepal.