Steyn reaches scary new high

In alarming news for opposition teams around the world, South Africa’s chief destroyer with the ball, Dale Steyn, has never performed better.

After taking 6-34 in the second innings against the West Indies in the Proteas’ comprehensive innings and 220 victory in Centurion last week, Steyn has moved to 909 Test ranking points, the highest total in his decorated career.

The 31-year-old is now a whopping 58 rating points clear of second-placed Rangana Herath of Sri Lanka, with Steyn’s teammate Vernon Philander (827 points) and Australian duo Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson (both 824) rounding out the top five.

ICC Test bowling rankings

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Steyn’s dominance puts him elite company.

The Proteas quick is ranked 11th in the best-ever Test bowling ratings next to Shaun Pollock, Waqar Younis and Richard Hadlee, one point behind West Indies champion bowler Malcolm Marshall.

The top 10 is a who’s who of bowling royalty. Englishman Sydney Barnes has the highest rating of all-time (932 points), followed by compatriot George Lohmann one point back.

The Englishmen might not be household names having played around the turn of the 20th century, but seven of the remaining eight bowlers are from the modern era, with Australia’s most successful Test fast bowler, Glenn McGrath, making the top five.

ICC best-ever Test bowling rankings

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On the back of making 133 and 28, Australia’s newest Test skipper, Steve Smith, rose one place in the Test batting rankings to seventh on 818 rating points, placing him alongside Pakistan’s Younis Khan.

Smith has made 940 runs at 78.33 in 2014, with four centuries in eight matches stretching back to the New Year’s Ashes Test against England at the SCG.

David Warner, with scores of 29 and six (and a bruised thumb), dropped two places to be sixth, behind Sri Lanka superstar Kumar Sangakkara.

ICC Test batting rankings

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Australia pace spearhead Johnson reminded the world in the second Commonwealth Bank Test just how destructive he is with bat and ball.

The 33-year-old clobbered 88 from 93 balls in Australia’s first innings before grabbing the match by the scruff of the neck with three wickets in 11 deliveries in India’s second innings to bury the visitors’ hopes of posting a competitive target.

The damaging display has seen the Western Australian climb one spot in the Test allrounder rankings, but he is still 94 rating points behind Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan.

ICC Test allrounder rankings

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