Taylor Aims To Usurp Mithali As Number-One ODI Batter

ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2011, Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies, has the opportunity to usurp India’s Mithali Raj in the Reliance ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for batters should the 20-year-old all-rounder perform well with the bat in the upcoming ODI series against India which begins tomorrow (Tuesday) in St Kitts.

Stafanie Taylor of West Indies. Photo: windiescricket.com

Taylor is just 11 ratings points behind table-topper Mithali, who has held the number-one position since 21st February 2010 after scoring 91 not out against England in Bengaluru.

A few strong performances with the bat by Mithali could see her widen the gap between herself and Taylor. But on the flipside, Taylor may well carry her fine batting prowess that she displayed in the recently completed Twenty20 International (T20I) series, won by the hosts, into the ODI series and, thus, displace Mithali from the top.

Meanwhile, England will be hosted by New Zealand in a three-match ODI series beginning on 1 March in Lincoln.

The matches will give an opportunity to players from both sides to push for rankings rises – especially the likes of England’s Lydia Greenway (third), England captain Charlotte Edwards (fifth) and Sarah Taylor, who currently occupies sixth position in the batting table.

After a disappointing performance in the T20I series, that the team recently lost to the touring England side, New Zealand’s batters in the top 20, Sara McGlashan (10th), Suzie Bates (14th), Lucy Doolan (15th) and Amy Satterthwaite (16th) will all be eager to score some runs and make an upward movement in the batting rankings.

In the Reliance ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for bowlers, the list is still topped by India’s former captain Jhulan Goswami whose two closest contenders for the top spot, Lisa Sthalekar of Australia and Katherine Brunt, are not playing in the two series that are about to commence in West Indies and New Zealand.

Beneath Sthalekar and Brunt are two players who will be playing in the coming weeks who will have hopes of pushing into the top three places, England’s Laura Marsh and West Indies Anisa Mohammed are currently ranking fourth and fifth in the bowling table.

Meanwhile Jhulan’s team-mate left-arm spinner Gouther Sultana will be hoping of a rise from ninth place and to leapfrog West Indies Taylor who is currently in eighth place on 589 rating points, just six points ahead of the Indian.

Outside of the top 10, Amita Sharma of India is currently ranked 13th and Isa Guha of England is one place behind, while New Zealand’s highest ranking ODI bowler, Sian Ruck, is 27th . Ruck needs wickets to keep her country’s representation in the top 30 of the bowling rankings.

The Reliance ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for all-rounders, the list is topped by Stafanie Taylor who will have both Amita and Jhulan snapping at her heels as the Indian duo are in third and fourth place respectively, while England’s Jenny Gunn is in fifth and could push up the rankings, if all goes well for her in New Zealand.

The player rankings will next be updated at the conclusion of both India’s ODI series against West Indies in St Kitts and New Zealand’s ODI series against England in Lincoln.

Upcoming ODI fixtures:
West Indies v India ODI Series
29 Feb – West Indies v India, Warner Park, St Kitts
2 Mar – West Indies v India, Warner Park, St Kitts
4 Mar – West Indies v India, Warner Park, St Kitts

New Zealand v England ODI Series
1 Mar – New Zealand v England, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
3 Mar – New Zealand v England, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
5 Mar – New Zealand v England, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln