Talkin Sport - England moves up to third in ICC Test Championship

Plenty at stake in coming weeks as England and South Africa look to overtake India in second position; West Indies can gain four points with win over Australia in Barbados

England has moved up one place to third in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table thanks to its 2-0 series win over New Zealand.

Left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom wrapped up the Black Caps’ innings at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Sunday with six wickets as Daniel Vettori’s team was defeated by an innings and nine runs.

That win, coupled with the victory at Old Trafford and the draw at Lord’s means England rises above South Africa in the Test Championship table into third position.

Michael Vaughan’s men were on 108 ratings points prior to the start of the series, one behind the Proteas, but now they have moved up to 110, just one point behind India in second position.

With Australia currently 30 points clear at the top of the table, there is no danger of it being caught any time soon. However, the ladder is a lot more congested further down with just five points separating India in second position and Sri Lanka in fifth.

England could have ended this series in second position had it won all three Tests but it can still wind up its summer ahead of India if it outperforms South Africa and India does not win its Test series in Sri Lanka.

However, if South Africa edges the four-match series it could be the one to go into second depending on how the Sri Lanka v India pans out so there is plenty at stake for both England and South Africa as they prepare for the first Test at Lord’s on 10 July.

Meanwhile, if the West Indies can win the third and final Test against Australia at Barbados starting on 12 June, not only will it square the series but it will also gain four ratings points to 81 in the Test Championship table. That would mean that the men from the Caribbean would stay put in eighth place but the distance between them and New Zealand would be reduced to just seven ratings points.

If that was the case, Australia would lose four points, cutting the gap with India to 26. A win for Ricky Ponting’s team at Bridgetown, however, would leave it on 141 ratings points, having won the three-match series 2-0.

The Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table is updated only at the end of each series.

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship (as of 8 June)

1 Australia 141
2 India 111
3 England 110
4 South Africa 109
5 Sri Lanka 106
6 Pakistan 94
7 New Zealand 88
8 West Indies 77
9 Bangladesh 1

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