New Zealanders make merry in latest Test rankings
Neil Wagner, the New Zealand pacer, and Tom Latham, the opener, rose to No.11 in the bowling and batting charts, respectively, of the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings.
New Zealand dominated Bangladesh in the first Test in Hamilton, securing an innings-and-52-run victory on Sunday, 2 March. The hosts' top order, comprising Latham, Jeet Raval and skipper Kane Williamson, all reached triple digits as New Zealand posted a record 715/6 declared.
NEW ZEALAND WIN!
Tim Southee picks up the last two wickets of Mahmudullah and Ebadat Hossain to dismiss Bangladesh for 429.
The hosts win the first Test by an innings and 52 runs!#NZvBAN SCORECARD 👇https://t.co/BziqUaAlGf pic.twitter.com/7rluRavuhp
— ICC (@ICC) March 3, 2019
Latham has had a fine home summer, and his 161 against Bangladesh helped him move up by one spot in the batting charts. Meanwhile, his opening partner, Raval, scored his maiden Test century and jumped five spots to No.33.
Wagner was another of the home players to have a memorable outing. He picked up five wickets in the first innings and added two more in the next to move up to No.11 in the bowlers' rankings.
Our milestone man 🙌#NZvBAN #OptaStats pic.twitter.com/CkpJBDJcMM
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 3, 2019
But it was Williamson who had the most to cheer about after the latest update. His unbeaten 200 – his second career double century – helped him reach a career-best 915 ratings point, just seven points off Virat Kohli at the top of the batters' charts.
Williamson became only the second New Zealander to cross 900 points in the rankings, after Richard Hadlee, who had reached 909 points among the bowlers. New Zealand have two more Tests in the series, giving Williamson a chance to end the home summer as the No.1-ranked Test batsman.
Meanwhile, there was cheer for Bangladesh as well after Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Soumya Sarkar, all centurions in Hamilton, moved up in the batting charts.
"I thought throughout this whole Test, the bowlers were outstanding."
Kane Williamson was full of praise for his bowling attack after New Zealand's innings victory over Bangladesh in the first Test of the series.
FULL STORY ⬇️https://t.co/WmJVv5bYSp pic.twitter.com/OAP5E8HD6N
Iqbal made significant gains, moving up 11 places to No.25 after his brisk 126 in the first innings. Elsewhere, Mahmudullah, the Bangladesh stand-in captain, climbed up 12 spots to No.40, while Sarkar jumped a massive 25 places to No.67 after their 235-run partnership in the second innings helped Bangladesh delay New Zealand's inevitable victory.
Colin de Grandhomme, the big New Zealand all-rounder, whose 53-ball 76* piled the misery on Bangladesh, has moved up six places in the batting charts and is currently at No.60.