South Africa opening batter Tazmin Brits has climbed two slots to a career-best fourth place in this week’s update of the ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings. She reached fourth place in the batters’ list after scoring 101 in the Proteas’ six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup on Monday.
Brits’ century is her fifth this year, making this the most-ever three-figure scores by a woman cricketer in a calendar year, as South Africa bounced back in style from their tournament-opening loss against England.
Australia’s Ash Gardner follows closely behind her after leaping seven places to her own personal-best, fifth position among the batters with 697 rating points to Brits’ 706.
Her previous best position was 10th place in January of this year. Gardner’s progression comes thanks to a dazzling 115 from 83 balls in their tournament opener against the White Ferns which was won by Australia by 89 runs.
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has also climbed seven slots to a career-best-equalling eighth place in the batters’ list, following scores of 112 and 85 in losing campaigns against Australia and South Africa. The last time she reached this position was in October 2024.
Pakistan opener Sidra Amin’s 81 runs against India have been rewarded with a personal-best, three-slot climb to 10thplace, her first appearance in the top 10 of the Women’s ODI Batting Rankings, following a previous best of 13th in December 2023.
Among others to make progress is India’s Deepti Sharma, who moved one place to 17th thanks to her scores of 53 and 25 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, respectively.
South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp has shifted one slot to fifth in the ICC Women’s ODI Bowling Rankings, while her teammate Nonkululeko Mlaba’s four-wicket haul against New Zealand sees her take a six-slot leap to a career-best 13thplace with 589 points. Her previous best was 19th in September this year.
Australia’s Alana King is in seventh place from eighth in last week’s update, while her compatriot Annabel Sutherland is just 19 points behind Mlaba with 570 and one place behind her at her own career-best 14th position. Her previous best was 17th in December 2024.
Star Scratch
Vinod Kambli\’s Test match average is better than his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar – Vinod Kambli played only 17 Test matches which included two back to back double tons. Kambli’s Test average is 54.20 while his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar averages 53.78 after 200 Tests.
Juice Petite
Sport Trivia: Who was the first cricket umpire to officiate in 200 ODIs? Answer: Rudi Koertzen. Rudi Koertzen officiated his 200th ODI on 11th July 2009. He went on to stand in 206 ODIs, as well as 108 tests, and 14 T20s. His way of dismissing batsmen, by slowly raising his finger, gave him the nickname of \”slow death\”.