Herath, Siddle achieve career-best rankings

Tuesday, 3 January 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle and Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath have achieved career-best rankings in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers after good performances in the Melbourne and Durban Tests, respectively which finished on Thursday.

Siddle, who took three for 63 and three for 42 in Australia’s 122-run victory over India, has jumped five places to seventh position where he is joined by Herath who has claimed six spots after recording match figures of nine for 128 which turned out to be the cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s 208-run victory over South Africa.

Australia fast bowlers Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson, and Sri Lanka seamer Chanaka Welegedara have also moved in the right direction.

Hilfenhaus, who took five for 75 and two for 39, has gained seven spots in the rankings and now sits just outside the top 20 in 22nd position, man of the match Pattinson has been rewarded for match figures of six for 108 with a jump of five places which puts him in 31st spot while Welegedara has moved from 35th to 29th position after match figures of five for 85.

There is plenty of reshuffle in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen.

Jacques Kallis’ first pair in an illustrious 149-Test career means he has slipped from second to fourth where he is joined by India’s iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar who has gained two places after scores of 73 and 32.

Other batsmen inside the top 50 and making upward movements include Hashim Amla (up by three to seventh), Thilan Samaraweera (up by three to 13th), Mike Hussey (up by one to 16th), Virender Sehwag (up by one to 18th), Ricky Ponting (up by seven to 24th), Tillekeratne Dilshan (up by one to 33rd) and Prasanna Jayawardena (up by one to 48th).

Sri Lanka’s middle-order batsman Dinesh Chandimal and Australia opener Ed Cowan have entered in 54th and 61st positions, respectively after making impressive debuts.

The batting list is headed by Kumar Sangakkara who became the eighth Sri Lanka batsman to score a zero and century in the same Test. Other Sri Lanka batsmen to achieve the rare distinction include Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Hashan Tillekeratne, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardena and Prasanna Jayawardena.