New Zealand’s women’s cricket team has been in impressive form at home, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead against Zimbabwe in their three-match ODI series.
The latest ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings reflect this dominance, with several White Ferns players making significant gains.
Kerr’s Record-Breaking Performance
Melie Kerr, the White Ferns’ captain, has been leading the charge with both bat and ball. Kerr recorded the best ODI figures by a New Zealand woman.
In the second contest in Dunedin, Kerr became just the seventh player overall to collect seven wickets or more in a women’s ODI, finishing with a magnificent seven-wicket haul.
Kerr’s efforts have propelled her up the rankings, jumping five places to 11th overall among ODI bowlers. The talented 25-year-old also climbed one place to fifth on the list for ODI all-rounders.
Halliday and Green Rise in Rankings
Kerr wasn’t the only New Zealander to see her ranking improve following the opening two matches of the series against Zimbabwe.
Brooke Halliday has moved up eight rungs to 11th, and Maddy Green has climbed four spots to equal 22nd in the ODI batter charts, following impressive performances with the bat.
Halliday smashed an unbelievable innings of 157* from just 117 balls in the series opener. Green hit 67 in the same match and followed that up with an unbeaten 27* in the second fixture.
Changes in T20I Rankings
There’s also been some movement in the latest T20I rankings, following the completion of the West Indies’ three-match series at home against Sri Lanka. This comes less than three months before the start of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup hosted by England and Wales.
Left-hander Hasini Perera hit an unbeaten half-century to help Sri Lanka clinch the series in the third and final game in St George’s. Perera was rewarded on the latest rankings for T20I batters, rising 15 spots to 28th overall.
Inexperienced right-hander Imesha Dulani (up 17 rungs to equal 72nd) also made gains on the list for T20I batters following an unbeaten 34* in the series finale. Sri Lankan teammate Kavisha Dilhari made gains on the rankings for T20I bowlers (up three spots to 21st) and all-rounders (up two places to 11th).
The big mover for the West Indies was Afy Fletcher, with the veteran spinner climbing four rungs to seventh overall.