England win confirms Ashes battle will be a top-of-the-table clash

The forthcoming Ashes series between Australia and England will be a battle between the top two sides in the LG ICC Test Championship table, it was confirmed today.

That confirmation came when England beat Pakistan by 167 runs at Headingley, a result that ensures it will win the series and so move back into second spot in the table, ahead of Inzamam-ul-Haq's side.

The gap between England and Australia ahead of their series beginning in Brisbane in November is still to be decided but it could be as few as 11 rating points if England beat Pakistan again at The Oval in the fourth Test, starting on 17 August, and so claim a 3-0 victory.

If England wins that Test, the top of the LG ICC Test Championship table will look like this:

Rank Team Rating

1. Australia 130
2. England 119
3. Pakistan 112
4. India 111

If the Test at The Oval is drawn, it will look like this:

1. Australia 130
2. England 117
3. Pakistan 114
4. India 111

And if Pakistan wins the fourth Test to reduce its margin of defeat in the series to 2-1, the top four places will be:

1. Australia 130
2. England 116
3. Pakistan 115
4. India 111

England's series win is its first since it beat Australia 2-1 last year to reclaim The Ashes while, for Pakistan, it is its first loss in a series since it lost all three Tests against Ricky Ponting's side in 2004/05.

Tuesday also saw Sri Lanka consolidate its position in fifth spot in the LG ICC Test Championship table with a nerve-jangling one-wicket win over South Africa that secured a 2-0 series win over the Proteas.

Sri Lanka is now eight points behind fourth-placed India while South Africa, in sixth spot, has lost four rating points and is now just two points ahead of New Zealand.