Lanning joins Smith as world No.1

Australian cricket can now boast the two best batters in the world following Meg Lanning’s ascension to the top of the women’s one-day international batting rankings.

Lanning is now the No.1 ranked batter in women’s ODIs and T20 cricket, joining men’s No.1 Test batsman Steve Smith at the top of the heap of the globe’s willow wielders.

The 23-year-old Lanning was the leading run-scorer in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against England, posting 195 runs at 65 including a century in the second match in Bristol, her sixth in ODI cricket.

Highlights of Meg Lanning's sixth ODI century

Captain of the 50 and 20-over world champion Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars, Lanning claimed the top spot in ODIs for the first time by leapfrogging Ashes rivals Sarah Talyor and counterpart Charlotte Edwards.

"I think it's important that I lead from the front,” Lanning said after scoring 104 in Bristol.  

"As a top-three batter my job is to score big runs. I've got the opportunity to do that.

"Once you get to 50 and 60 as a number three you've really got to go on and make those big score, because that's what wins your team games. 

"Fifties and sixties are good, but if you get that big score that's what's going to put you in that good position."

Lanning has now hit six ODI hundreds in 39 matches, putting the Victorian in elite company alongside New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and behind Edwards (nine), Taylor and Karen Rolton (eight apiece).

There was good news too for Ellyse Perry, whose player-of-the-series performance saw her shoot into the top 10 of the ODI batting and bowling rankings.

Perry stars as Australia clinch ODI series

Perry’s 193 runs, featuring scores of 78, 48 and 67, vaulted the 24-year-old to a career-high eighth place in the batting rankings, while her three wickets moved her up five spots to fifth amongst the bowlers.

Perry is also hot on the heels of women’s No.1 allrounder Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies, and it’s been a stunning run of seven half-centuries in her last eight innings that has seen the NSW product rapidly climb the rankings.

"It's been really nice to have an opportunity in the past couple of years to bat higher and contribute to the side from that point of view," Perry said.

"I actually think, from a personal cricketing perspective, it makes me a better player all-round.

"I tend to feel more comfortable, when I've scored runs, when I'm out there bowling. I feel like I'm in the game a bit more.

"I've probably learned a lot more about cricket from doing both skills . . . from a tactical sense too.

"I've really enjoyed it, It's been really nice."

Lanning and Perry weren’t the only Australians to rise up the rankings following the 2-1 series win in England.

Batters Nicole Bolton (24th), Alyssa Healy (71st) and Elyse Villani (73rd) all reached personal-best rankings, while Sarah Coyte (14th), Jess Jonassen (20th), Megan Schutt (30th) and Kristen Beams (51st) each moved upwards in the bowling charts.

Watch: Megan Schutt's strong performance against England

The next assignment for the Southern Stars is the one-off Women’s Ashes Test match against England in Canterbury on August 11 before squaring off with the Old Enemy for three T20 internationals.

Australia lead the points-based series 4-2.

Women's ODI Player Rankings

Batting

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Bowling

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