England Spinner Smith Rockets to Career-High No.2 ICC Rank

Lindsay Smith’s whirlwind week continued off the field as the ICC released its latest Women’s T20 rankings. The Nottinghamshire spinner rocketed 38 positions to second after an incisive display against New Zealand that yielded six wickets and the Player-of-the-Series trophy. England’s 2-1 series win owed much to her variations and control under lights in Dubai. Smith’s ascent displaced longtime teammate Sophie Ecclestone, who slips to third. The development leaves England with four bowlers inside the top seven: Smith, Ecclestone, Lauren Bell and Charlie Dean. Bell stayed fourth despite sitting out the finale, while Dean’s five-wicket haul consolidated seventh place. Eight of the top ten bowling spots now belong to spinners, confirming the format’s love affair with slow bowling. New Zealand’s Bree Illing and Fran Jonas also moved up after respectable series contributions. On the batting side, Sophie Devine’s 132-run series aggregate earned her a return to the top ten. Australia maintain their stranglehold on batting rankings, with Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney still first and second. Maddy Green’s 93 runs lifted her eight places to 39th. Meanwhile, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews ended Amelia Kerr’s short stint at the summit of the all-rounder table, reclaiming the number-one position she had owned for more than two years until March.