ODI Ratings - significant or not?

Australia's Meg Lanning has moved up to sixth place in the Reliance ICC World ODI batting rankings after her recent performances against New Zealand in the Rose Bowl series. Lanning was the top run scorer in the four match series with 300 runs, at an average of 75, including a blistering 100 in the third game, which included the fastest 50 (23 balls) and the fastest 100 (45 balls) in women's ODI cricket.

Top run scorers for NZ in the series - Suzie Bates and Amy Satterthwaite - have also moved up the rankings to 7th and 5th respectively.

The Top 10 currently looks like this

1. Mithali Raj (Ind) 767
2. Stephanie Taylor (WI) 737
3. Sarah Taylor (Eng) 660
4. Lydia Greenway (Eng) 640
5. Amy Satterthwaite (NZ) 637
6. Meg Lanning (Aus) 635
7. Suzie Bates (NZ) 611
8. Alex Blackwell (NZ) 581
8. Charlotte Edwards (Eng) 581
10. Jess Cameron (Aus) 575

But does the table really reflect current form and ability? The rankings are relatively new to women's cricket, because previously it was felt that the women did not play enough ODI cricket against each other to make them relevant.

With the focus on the T20 World Cup this year there have been few significant ODI series in last 10 months - only really India in England (3-2 to England), before the recent Rose Bowl series. England have not played a 50 over game since 11th July 2012, and will not do so before the ODI World Cup in February next year. India have not played an ODI since 16th March 2012. Only South Africa and the West Indies, who meet in the West Indies in January, will play before the World Cup starts.

Perhaps the best that can be said of the current rankings is that these are probably the Top Ten batters in the women's ODI game at the present time, but that the order is questionable. It will be interesting to see how the table changes after the World Cup has concluded. My view is that it will look very different!

MD
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