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Australia’s Mitchell Johnson has continued to storm through the charts in the latest Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers. Johnson has jumped five places to fourth following his spectacular match-winning haul of 12 for 127 in the Centurion Test against South Africa.
Johnson, named Player of the Match for his 12-wicket haul, has enjoyed a spectacular run this season and now has a total of 49 wickets from six successive Tests.
Johnson, who first entered the top ten of the bowlers’ table in November 2008, reached a career-best second in March 2009. The left-arm fast bowler remained a permanent fixture in the top five until October 2010.
Vernon Philander has ceded the number-one position in the bowlers’ table to teammate Dale Steyn after a 55-day reign at the top.
Philander, who became the number-one ranked bowler on 22 December 2013, picked up one wicket in the Centurion Test to drop 11 ratings points and finish on 898, three ratings points behind Steyn.
South Africa’s spearhead Steyn, who had figures of four for 78 and two for 61 in either innings of the Centurion Test, has retained his pre-series ratings points.
Steyn first reached the number-one position on 3 April 2008 when he drew level with Muttiah Muralidaran for one week. He regained the top spot in July 2009 when he overtook Muralidaran.
Thereafter, Steyn spent 187 matches or 1630 days as the top-ranked bowler, the second-most number of matches at the top to date after Muralidaran. Steyn’s run was ended when Philander overtook him in December 2013.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Ryan Harris continues to be the highest-ranked bowler for his side, after retaining his pre-series third position.
This means that when the second Test between South Africa and Australia gets underway on Thursday in Port Elizabeth, the top four ranked bowlers will be seen in action, with Peter Siddle in sixth position (down by one) closely following them.
New Zealand’s Tim Southee moved up a place to a career-best ninth following his match haul of five for 143 in the Wellington Test against India. Southee is now on 757 ratings points, just 10 behind eighth-ranked teammate Trent Boult.
Full Rankings:
