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Two late wickets were reward for New Zealand’s application – particularly that of Chris Martin whose wiry frame belied an extra yard of zip that none of England’s bowlers could replicate (least of all Steve Harmison). But perhaps more significantly, the b

Andrew Miller in Hamilton06-Mar-2008
Alastair Cook fell for 38 – a stark reminder of the frailties of England’s batting lineup © Getty Images
For 85 overs of the second day at Hamilton, the first Test between England and New Zealand was dying a slow death. The application shown by Ross Taylor and Daniel Vettori during their 148-run stand was admirable but foreboding. England’s bowlers found no swing, seam or spin to help them on their way, and when their own batsmen replied in kind with an 84-run opening stand, the worst sort of stalemate was already being envisaged.But then, Alastair Cook went and played a pull shot that had “mug” tattooed all over it, and suddenly there was life in the match once again. Two late wickets were reward for New Zealand’s application – particularly that of Chris Martin whose wiry frame belied an extra yard of zip that none of England’s bowlers could replicate (least of all Steve Harmison). But perhaps more significantly, the breakthroughs were a reminder of the frailties of England’s batting line-up.Daniel Vettori made a point of bigging up England’s top six on the eve of the series, remarking how they all averaged in excess of 40. What he omitted to mention is that they all too frequently reach that score then give their wickets away. In Sri Lanka before Christmas, England were overwhelmed by three totemic innings – 152 from Kumar Sangakkara at Kandy, and then 197 and 213 not out from Mahela Jayawardene at Colombo and Galle respectively. In reply they mustered a solitary hundred in six attempts, and that came from Cook at the last gasp, when the series was already irretrievable.Taylor’s hugely mature 120 wasn’t quite in the class of those three knocks, but it was a performance of great resolve and substance, the like of which England aren’t too keen to replicate these days. As a squad they have mislaid the art of the meaningful innings – and they can’t even manage it in one-day cricket, where their last centurion was Owais Shah at The Oval against India last summer, 11 matches ago.Andrew Strauss used to score centuries for fun, with 10 in his first 30 Tests, but he was dropped after failing to reach three figures in 25 subsequent innings. Now he’s back in the mix, thanks entirely to the shortcomings of others, and he’s out in the middle already – at least a session sooner than he had envisaged. There’s no time like the present for ending his run-drought either. Ian Bell is incapacitated, Tim Ambrose is on debut, and Ryan Sidebottom – for all his merits – is hardly fit to lace Vettori’s boots at No. 8.New Zealand are flushed with unexpected confidence after the success of their batsmen this morning, and they sense that England are beatable.”We think we can win the game,” said Taylor. “If they were none-down or one-down it would be a pretty even game, but to have them two-down when it is starting to slow up and take a bit of turn, I’m sure the first session tomorrow will be big. If we can put some pressure on England early on then you never know.”Pressure was what England’s bowlers singularly failed to apply after resuming on 282 for 6. “We’re disappointed that we didn’t bowl as well as we did yesterday,” said Ryan Sidebottom, who with 4 for 90 was England’s stand-out bowler and, for once, had the figures to prove it. “We were fired up to get the four wickets and we were stupidly searching for wickets this morning, rather than doing what we did yesterday. We were trying to bowl too quick instead of plugging away, and they scored 100 more than we expected.”Apart from watching him on TV, I haven’t had a lot to do with him [Steve Harmison] but he can bowl at 130kph as much as he wants, because it makes it easier for me. He’d be a hell of a bowler to face if he was bowling at 145-150kph, especially on a bouncy deckRoss Taylor gives a damning assessment of Steve Harmison”Bowling too quick.” That may have been true of the two specialist swing bowlers in the line-up, but oh for such an accolade to be uttered in Harmison’s direction. Taylor could hardly believe his luck when reputation finally met with reality, and he faced up for the first time to the bowler who was once the most fearsome in the world. “Apart from watching him on TV, I haven’t had a lot to do with him,” said Taylor, “but he can bowl at 130kph as much as he wants, because it makes it easier for me. He’d be a hell of a bowler to face if he was bowling at 145-150kph, especially on a bouncy deck.”It was a pretty damning yet utterly honest assessment from a man in only his third Test match. Taylor came to the crease with a reputation for big hitting and a career-best score of 17, and yet he bedded in to bat for more than five hours. “I got off to a bit of shaky start in my first four digs in Test cricket, so it was good to silence a few people who doubted me and whether I was good enough to play at this level,” he said. “It was definitely the most circumspect I’ve ever batted.”England are capable of emulating such feats. Strauss was back to his compact self during the warm-up in Dunedin, while Kevin Pietersen is bristling for a big one after failing to reach even fifty in Sri Lanka. But to judge by the verve and aggression showed by Martin and Mills with the new ball, and the steep bounce and not-insignificant turn extracted by the spinners, Vettori and Jeetan Patel, New Zealand’s bowlers are more up for the challenge than their English counterparts proved to be.England were, after all, bundled out for 131 in their warm-up at Dunedin. “That showed us that England can be beaten,” said Taylor. “It was only a three-day game and it did do a lot on the first morning of that game, but it gave the players in that match a bit more belief they could foot it with England. It showed we are still in the game.”

The opening partnership, Babar Azam’s form, the middle-order positions and balance of the attack: Mickey Arthur has admitted he has a lengthy list of issues to resolve

Osman Samiuddin09-Oct-2017Before this series began, Pakistan were faced with a few questions. Some were familiar ones, like who should open. Others were new – who replaces Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan in the middle order, and how does that impact the order?Nine days into the series, 1-0 down to a side one place below in the Test rankings, and faced with the very real prospect of losing a long-standing unbeaten home record, coach Mickey Arthur admitted their answers to these questions were wrong.Arthur: It’s a bit of a worry. It is a worry. I’ve got a lot of faith in Babar because I think he is a very good player. But his white-ball form needs to start transforming into Test form. He’s had a very slow start to his Test career, for a player of his ability. I’m still confident that he will come through and that he will be a very good player for Pakistan going forward. We’ve just got to guide him through as best we can.”Arthur: It’s kept me awake at night to be honest. It’s tough. I thought we had it nailed I’ve got to be honest. I was comfortable that we had the right combinations. I was comfortable we had enough left-hand, right-hand combinations. I thought we had the next best batsmen available in Pakistan playing for us. I’ll be honest I’m not 100% sure now.And before we tour again, we’ve got a long break now before we go to England, we’re going to have to sit down and really apply our minds and have a look again as to what we think is our best top six going forward.Arthur: It’s still too early to say. I would’ve loved Asad to be playing the innings he is from No. 4 because that just solves the problem for us. With him going down to five, it throws up another conundrum for us because he’s playing so well at five, is that his right position? I’m not so sure. We’re going to have to really apply our minds going forward with what our right top six is.Arthur: In terms of rationale one of the things always pointed out about Pakistan cricket is that there hasn’t been any continuity. We’ve tried to get continuity with our players, albeit the right decision or the wrong decision. We’ve tried to create continuity – Pakistan cricket is synonymous with dropping players, bringing them back, dropping them again, bringing them back again. We want to give guys an opportunity and then we can make a proper decision on it.Has our opening partnership worked for us in this series? It probably hasn’t but that is something we’ll discuss going forward. The easy option would be Azhar going back up and that then opens another position at no. 3. At the moment we’ve got a lot of soul searching to do to figure out what our best top six is.Arthur: We just thought it was our best possible attack, whether that was right or wrong, it’s something I need to get my head around. I’ve come from and coached in places where pace dominates and wins games. I’ve got to get my thinking round these totally different conditions.Whether we like it or not though our attack has done a job. We should’ve chased down 136 in Abu Dhabi. Without a doubt. And then we would’ve said the attack has done its job.The other thing is, no disrespect to the spinners we’ve got because they’re young, but if it’s Yasir Shah and Saeed Ajmal, it’s a no-brainer. But we don’t have Saeed Ajmal as the second spinner. We’re working with a set of young spinners. Bilal Asif and Mohammad Asghar have worked the house down. Asghar will be good. When we give him that opportunity is something we need to look at. And perhaps the opportunity was here. Maybe tactically I messed up on that.Strategically when we set about looking at how we’d go about this, we asked for wickets that did a little bit more than they have done. We asked for a little bit more grass because that would nullify Sri Lanka’s spinners and give our quick bowlers an opportunity. Whether that can happen in the UAE, I’m not sure. Maybe that was a pipe dream as far as I was concerned. But that was our strategy going into the series.

Manchester United's pursuit of Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is "being driven by Erik ten Hag", but there is still a "gap in valuation" between the two clubs, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has told GIVEMESPORT.

Manchester United transfer news – What's the latest on Andre Onana?

It has been an interesting start to the transfer window for United this year. The club have had some significant success in the market, such as the capture of highly rated Chelsea star Mason Mount for just £55m, but there have also been some setbacks, notably the resignation that a deal for Harry Kane wouldn't be feasible.

Another area of the team that has been creating headlines is the goalkeeping department, as long-term shot-stopper and former Spanish international David De Gea finally left the club after a rather public falling out over a dispute around a new contract.

With De Gea out the door, the Red Devils are in need of a new number one, and the player they have identified to take up that role is Cameroon international, Onana.

According to the Daily Mail, the three-time European champions are preparing an offer in the region of £43m for the Inter man, after having previously made only verbal offers to the Italian giants.

Unfortunately for Ten Hag's men, the Nerazzurri have valued their star keeper at £51m and do not seem to be showing any sign that they will budge on that price in the near future.

What has Dharmesh Sheth said about Andre Onana, Erik ten Hag and Manchester United?

Sheth says that United are incredibly keen on this deal, primarily due to Ten Hag's admiration for the player. However, should Inter refuse to budge from their valuation, a deal could be difficult for the Red Devils.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the Sky Sports reporter said: "I think this will depend on Inter Milan more than anything else. Look, United, they continue to push for a deal for Andre Onana. This one's really being driven by Erik ten Hag.

"He really wants him at United — played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax — but there's a gap in valuation that still exists. Inter, at the moment, aren't budging on their €60m valuation of Andre Onana. And I think if it was to remain that way, United would find it difficult to want to pay that much."

How does Andre Onana stack up against David De Gea?

With United looking like they will have to spend something close to £50m for their new number one, how much better has he been compared to De Gea last season?

According to WhoScored, it was the Inter man that had a better league season last year, with the Cameroonian star averaging a decent match rating of 6.72 across his 24 Serie A appearances, while his Spanish counterpart averaged just 6.67 across his 38 Premier League games.

The former Ajax man, who has been hailed as a "superstar" for his performances, conceded fewer goals per 90 last season at just one, whereas De Gea conceded 1.13 per 90, per FBref.

The biggest difference between the keepers, however, is in their ability to play the ball with their feet, with Onana completing 81.3% of his passes per 90 compared to De Gea's 71.1%, and crucially, Onana's passing ability led to 0.33 shot-creating actions per 90 last season compared to the Spaniard's 0.13.

This ability to play with his feet has already won him plaudits from United legend Rio Ferdinand, who said:

"[As a] modern-day goalkeeper, he's top class. He takes the ball under pressure, doesn't panic, and brings the other team onto him, which creates space around that.

"He plays over or through the press. He was fabulous tonight in doing that."

If Ten Hag can get a hold of his former number one this summer, United could well do more than just challenge for Champions League football next year.

If the hosts lose on Friday, they will go 0-2 down with only two matches left

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu29-Jun-20171:52

Can change of scenery do West Indies good?

Match FactsFriday, June 30, 2017
Start time 0900 local (1300 GMT)Big PictureIndia came to the Caribbean after yielding their Champions Trophy crown but they haven’t taken long to find their happy place again. They scored 300-plus in less than 50 overs in their first completed match since the defeat to Pakistan, bringing the cricket world back to the status quo.If West Indies are to shake things up and more importantly stay alive in the series, they’ll have to find a way past India’s strongest suit: a top order that, by now, must be making runs as they sleepwalk. Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli are racking them up with such greed that their team-mates from Nos 4 might have forgotten how it feels to be out in the middle. Over the last six games, only twice has a middle-order batsman been needed to face even 40 balls. Both came in losing causes.If this trend is to be exploited though, West Indies have to do something India have, recently, been excellent at: maximising their strength. Jason Holder has under his charge a set of bowlers who are not typically threatening, but at this level, they should at least maintain a constricting line and length for as much as the 50 overs as possible. The two uncapped players they have added to the squad – Kyle Hope and Sunil Ambris – are batsmen so clearly this is the best bowling attack they have and perhaps Antigua will bring them better luck.2:37

I learn from my failures – Dhawan

Form guideWest Indies LWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WLWWLIn the spotlightSkill-wise, there is very little going against Devendra Bishoo. He is a wristspinner – an essential commodity in ODIs now – but his consistency remains a problem. Good batsmen almost mark him down for approximately one short ball an over and milk him without too much trouble. If Bishoo can rectify this, he could be what West Indies need – a wicket-taker.He has always been a very good cutter of the ball, but now, when he plays the pull, and the hook, the change in Shikhar Dhawan is striking. He is no longer hurried into the shot, the swivel on the back foot is smooth, and the shot itself appears effortless – signs that he is picking the length early and trusting his technique, which he says has been calibrated to play the ball a little later and therefore a lot closer to his body. With 500 runs in his last nine innings, the adjustments are bringing rewards.Team newsConsidering West Indies dropped Kieran Powell and Jonathan Carter, who have played both ODIs of this series, and replaced them with Kyle Hope and Sunil Ambris, the two uncapped batsmen might just be looking at instant debuts.West Indies (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Kyle Hope, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Jason Mohammed, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Rovman Powell/ Sunil Ambris, 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Devendra Bishoo, 11 Miguel Cummins,India tend to avoid experimenting in ODIs, but considering the potential of Rishabh Pant, who has hit a first-class triple-hundred at nearly run-a-ball, they may make an exception.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Umesh YadavPitch and conditionsIn 15 matches at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium in North Sound, the average run-rate batting first has been 5.05. That roughly translates to an average total of 252. And barring the odd brief shower, the weather is expected to hold up well.Stats and trivia The last time West Indies won an ODI series against a top-eight team was in 2012, when they beat New Zealand 4-1. Since then, they’ve been beaten 16 times. India’s top-three have averaged 61.5 over the last two years. That’s 15 points higher than their nearest rivals South Africa

“They went into a negative position to save their wickets and defend the balls. The ball is turning from the rough. I think positive approach is the best way to play on this wicket,” Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella said

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong03-Feb-2018As soon as third umpire Joel Wilson confirmed to the on-field umpires that Mushfiqur Rahim was out, the balance of the first Test became a lot more skewed. Bangladesh will have to fight without their two most experienced batsmen on the fifth day against Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella later said that despite the batting-friendly Chittagong pitch, it is their game to win. He also said Sri Lanka were helped by Bangladesh’s defensive approach. Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur both got out trying to defend, while Imrul Kayes’ was caught at square leg off a soft lap sweep.”We have a pretty good chance to win the Test,” Dickwella said. “It is a pretty good wicket. It is all turning from the rough, and outside the stumps. We are hoping to start the day well. We are bowling in good areas, line and length.”They went into a negative position to save their wickets and defend the balls. I don’t think it is the way to bat on this wicket. The ball is turning from the rough. I think positive approach is the best way to play in this wicket.”Bangladesh spinner Taijul Islam said their approach was to score off the bad balls, but their focus will remain on saving the Test. Taijul bowled 67.3 overs, the most in an innings for a Bangladesh bowler, and conceded 219 runs, the most for a Bangladesh bowler. His returns of 4 for 219 was the most expensive four-for in Tests.”There is a lot to think, and a lot not to think about. We have to save the game. If our batsmen can survive the fifth day, then we can get something out of it. Batsmen would like to score runs off the bad balls. It would have been better had we lost one wicket. Three wickets are too many,” he said.Bangladesh’s predicament in Chittagong was largely down to their spinners’ struggles against Sri Lanka’s batting. Starting the fourth day just nine runs short of Bangladesh’s first-innings total, Sri Lanka piled on the misery by keeping them on the field for 199.3 overs.Sunil Joshi, Bangladesh’s spin bowling coach, said that the spinners could have bowled with more consistency and shown more patience.”I think they could have been better. They could have had more consistency,” Joshi said. “If you don’t get wickets in the first session, you can always get them in the second and third session. You need to be patient. The young Bangladesh spinners need to understand the way they can perform in Test cricket.”It is important for a spinner to understand to bowl a dot ball, where you can bowl one. Consistency is key for Test cricket. These spinners will learn with due time,” he said.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has been mocked by his PSG counterpart after the Spaniard posted a video about the European Super League.

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PSG chief mocks Perez over Super LeagueReal Madrid president praised projectReal Madrid support The Super LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?

On Thursday, Real Madrid published a video in which club president Perez praised the return of the European Super League project, organised by A22. In response, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi took to X (formerly Twitter) to mock the Spaniard, as Perez chose to make his speech while standing in front of some of the Champions League trophies his club has won.

AdvertisementWHAT PEREZ AND AL-KHELAIFI SAID

In the video, Perez said: "This day will mark a before and after. It is a great day for the history of football and for the history of sport."

In response, Al-Khelaifi said: "Strange to talk about the Super League with the UEFA Champions League trophies behind you."

MarcaTHE BIGGER PICTURE

On Thursday, A22 relaunched its Super League project after the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that UEFA and FIFA and unlawfully blocked the competition when it tried to launch in 2021. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the only two clubs that still back the competition, while PSG has publicly come out in opposition to it. UEFA has issued a firm stance against the Super League.

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beIN SportsWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID AND THE SUPER LEAGUE?

Without the support of clubs from the Premier League, Serie A, and Bundesliga, the launch of a European Super League seems an impossibility. However, Perez will be hoping that his club will still receive a pretty healthy windfall for their support.

Al-Nassr players surprised Cristiano Ronaldo with a 'GOAT' cake after the Portuguese superstar won three prizes at the Globe Soccer Awards.

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Al-Nassr players surprised Ronaldo with 'GOAT' cake Did the 'Siuuu' chant to cheer for Ronaldo Ronaldo won three prizes at Globe Soccer Awards WHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo bagged three prizes at the Globe Soccer Awards earlier this week. He won the Best Middle East Player prize, the Maradona Award for the best goalscorer in 2023, and the Fans' Favourite Player of the Year award.

To mark his triumph in Dubai, Al-Nassr players surprised the 38-year-old with a special cake that had the words "Awards keep following the GOAT" written on it. They also did the 'Siuuu' chant to cheer for Ronaldo in reference to his trademark celebration.

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The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star had an eventful 2023 as he scored 54 goals for club and country and became the highest-scoring male footballer in the world. In the ongoing season, he has 24 goals to his name in 25 appearances across all competitions for Al-Nassr and has also provided 11 assists.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO?

The Saudi Pro League is currently on pause due to the 2023 AFCON and Asian Cup. Al-Nassr are set to play several friendly matches in the next couple of weeks, including a friendly encounter in the Riyadh Cup against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami on February 1. They will return to competitive action on February 14 against Al-Feiha in the AFC Champions League.

Nottingham Forest are reportedly interested in Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso, as Steve Cooper eyes star quality for his side ahead of the upcoming season.

Adding sufficient reinforcements this summer is integral to ensure that the Reds move away from the relegation zone, after leaving it to the penultimate game of the campaign to confirm safety.

Could Nottingham Forest sign Andrea Cambiaso?

As reported in Italy, both Forest and Tottenham are interested in Juventus left-back Cambiaso.

The report claims that the two Premier League sides have approached the Italian giants over the availability of the 23-year-old.

It’s added that Juve would expect a fee of at least €20m (£17m) for the youngster to allow him to depart.

How good is Andrea Cambiaso?

A product of Genoa’s academy, the defender was snatched by Juventus last summer after a series of loan spells around Italy.

Making a permanent exit to Turin didn’t halt the movements of the 23-year-old, who departed on loan last season to Bologna to gain added experience under the watch of the Bianconeri.

With his future at his new club unknown, fellow suitors have come knocking, which may see the Italian re-locate once more in his budding career.

The full-back made 32 appearances for Bologna last term, making the loan move a positive one in terms of his journey in Serie A.

For Forest, the signing of Cambiaso could be an encouraging coup, with the left-back showcasing the potential to be the dynamic defender that is required to spice things up at the City Ground.

Lauded as being “on fire” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Juve youngster could be the perfect acquisition for Cooper to chase in the absence of Renan Lodi, who shone on the left side for the Reds last term.

The 25-year-old spent the year on loan in the Premier League from Atletico Madrid, before returning to Spain and being swiped up by Marseille shortly after his return.

The Brazilian added a host of quality to the squad, however, Cooper may have the opportunity to swoop for a player of similar potential in Cambiaso.

While the two are competent defenders as highlighted by their averages in their respective 2022/23 league campaigns, with the Italian averaging 2.36 tackles per 90 to Lodi’s 2.11, the 23-year-old showcased a more progressive side to his game.

As per FBref, the Forest target made an average of 74.24 touches per 90 for Bologna in comparison to their former left-back's mere 46.46, highlighting his desire to be involved in the game.

Influential in his progressive game, Cambiaso averaged 2.65 progressive carries and 3.44 progressive passes per 90 in Serie A, while maintaining a pass completion rate of 84.0%.

Despite being adored at the City Ground, Lodi’s numbers in the Premier League last term were incomparable to those of the Juve man, averaging a pass completion rate of 66.5% and making 1.26 progressive passes.

A prominent area of the Italian’s game is his eye for playmaking, evidenced through his average of 1.16 key passes per 90, presenting Cooper with the option to recruit added quality and a fresh outlet in defence.

With Spurs also watching the 23-year-old, the Welshman must act fast if he is to obtain the young talent.

One of Australia’s most familiar cricket curators, Kevin Mitchell Jr, will retire after this year’s Ashes Test in November.

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2017One of Australia’s most familiar cricket curators, Kevin Mitchell Jr, will retire after this year’s Ashes Test in November.Mitchell’s departure marks the second retirement of an Australian Test curator this winter, after Tom Parker announced in June that he was stepping down after 20 years of preparing the SCG’s pitches.Mitchell has been in charge of the Gabba playing surface for 27 years, having started as assistant curator under his father and predecessor, Kevin Mitchell Sr, in 1984.”In the ’80s we had the really good West Indies teams touring with the likes of Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and the big four fast bowlers and that was an eye-opener for me, I thought what a great place to work,” Mitchell told the . “Then in 1995 we won our first Sheffield Shield final and that was really game-changing for Queensland cricket.”The Gabba pitch has typically been regarded as one of the best in Australia, offering seam movement and spin, but also opportunities for big totals. The ground has been nicknamed the “Gabbatoir” for Australia’s dominance in Test cricket at the venue in recent decades: the last team to beat Australia in a Gabba Test was West Indies in 1988. Only two of the past 13 Tests at the ground have been drawn.”Kevvie Mitchell has meant so much to the Gabba and his work on the playing surface has really been instrumental in a lot of our success as a venue,” Gabba manager Blair Conaghan said.”It’s been a fantastic journey for him, from the days when it included the old greyhound track to its transformation into the more modern facility it is today and to consistently deliver over such a long period of time is an incredible achievement.”

Dale Steyn has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-20161:03

Personal records don’t bother me – Steyn

Dale Steyn has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings after picking up match figures of 8 for 99 in South Africa’s 204-run win over New Zealand in Centurion. Steyn went up two places in the rankings, leapfrogging R Ashwin and James Anderson, to become No. 1 for the first time since December 2015, when he suffered a shoulder injury during the Durban Test against England.Top five Test bowlers

Dale Steyn (South Africa)

James Anderson (England)

R Ashwin (India)

Stuart Broad (England)

Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)

The other two members of South Africa’s pace attack in Centurion also climbed the rankings, with Vernon Philander going from 13th to 11th, and Kagiso Rabada from 30th to 27th. Faf du Plessis, who scored a century in South Africa’s first innings, jumped from 33rd to 24th in the Test batsmen’s rankings.South Africa’s 1-0 series win, meanwhile, lifted them from seventh to fifth in the team rankings, which meant they swapped places with New Zealand, who now sit a place below sixth-placed Sri Lanka.