Opportunity for Australia to reclaim top spot

Australia may have lost their No.1 ranking in ODIs to South Africa after their 39-run defeat in Perth, but they have an opportunity to reclaim that position quickly when their five-match ODI series against New Zealand gets underway.

South Africa went ahead by a fraction of a point after winning the series 4-1, but a victory in the first ODI against New Zealand in Perth, on Sunday, will be enough to push Australia to the top. Australia are still the top Test team, enjoying a five-point lead over South Africa despite losing the Test series 2-1 this summer.

South Africa are back at the top for the first time since April 2008 and held the position for a brief period. The gap between the top three sides is steadily narrowing, with India also in the picture. They are currently five points behind South Africa and Australia in the ODI rankings and a series victory against Sri Lanka will push them further towards the top.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe have also made progress, moving up one place to tenth after winning the opening two matches of the five-ODI series in Kenya.