Australian stars leap up ICC rankings

Australia spinner Jess Jonassen has reclaimed her spot at the top of the International Cricket Council’s ODI bowling rankings, usurping teammate Megan Schutt, while wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy is officially Australia’s top-ranked batter.

Jonassen has been rewarded in the latest update to the ICC’s rankings after playing a key role in Australia’s 3-0 whitewash against Sri Lanka that concluded with a record-breaking 18th straight win in Brisbane on Wednesday, taking six wickets across the series.

In the process, she picked up her 100th ODI wicket in her 67th innings, becoming the second fastest player to the milestone behind the legendary Cathryn Fitzpatrick.

She now sits on 758 rankings points, ahead of Schutt in second spot, while Ellyse Perry’s presence at No.5 means there are three Australians inside the top five.

Healy, who struck her third one-day hundred in the third ODI, jumped to a career-high third in the batting charts, leapfrogging Perry and Meg Lanning to become Australia’s top-ranked batter in the process.

Remarkably, Healy sat at 42nd in the batting rankings just two years ago, before starting the stunning run of form that’s seen her average 57.8 in one-dayers since the start of 2018.

Another notable climb comes from vice-captain Rachael Haynes, who leapt seven spots to 21 after scoring a maiden international century in the second one-dayer.

Perry now sits in fourth spot, with Lanning in No.6.

Australia claimed an unassailable lead in the ICC’s Women’s ODI Championship during the three-match series against Sri Lanka, assuring they’ll again lift the Championship plate at the end of their one-day series against South Africa next March, a contest that marks their final round of the 2017-20 edition of the round-robin, 50-over competition.

Lanning’s team have 34 points out of a possible 36 after six rounds of the eight-team Championship that determines direct qualification berths to the 2021 one-day World Cup in New Zealand.

Australia’s women have now turned their attention to the Rebel WBBL, which begins next Friday.

ICC ODI batting rankings

1. Smriti Mandhana (India) – 786 points

2. Amy Satterthwaite (NZ) – 759

3. Alyssa Healy (Australia) – 738

4. Ellyse Perry (Australia) – 737

5. Tammy Beaumont (England) – 722

6. Meg Lanning (Australia) – 719

7. Mithali Raj (India) – 717

8. Suzie Bates (NZ) - 683

= Sophie Devine (NZ) – 683

10. Stafanie Taylor (WI) – 676

ICC ODI bowling rankings

1. Jess Jonassen (Australia) – 755

2. Megan Schutt (Australia) – 731

3. Jhulan Goswami (India) – 727

4. Sana Mir (Pakistan) – 714

5. Ellyse Perry (Australia) – 710

6. Shikha Pandey (India) – 694

7. Marizanne Kapp (SA) – 669

8. Poonam Yadav (India) – 664

9. Shabnim Ismail (SA) – 663

10. Katherine Brunt (England) – 649

ICC ODI allrounder rankings

1. Ellyse Perry (Australia) - 523

2. Deepti Sharma (India) - 397

3. Stafanie Taylor (WI) - 360

4. Dane van Niekerk (SA) - 331

= Marizanne Kapp (SA) - 331