Reliance ICC Test Bowlers Rankings: Trent Boult moves up; Dale Steyn retains top spot

Trent Boult of New Zealand celebrates the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka with Hamish Rutherford and Brendon McCullum during day three of the First Test match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval on December 28, 2014 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers, New Zealand’s Trent Boult returned match figures of four for 130 runs to help his side to victory over Sri Lanka and improve his ranking by one place to sixth on 795 points, nine adrift of Australia’s Mitchell Johnson.

India’s Mohammed Shami has risen seven places to a career-high 31st place after taking match figures of six for 145 runs, while Australia’s Mitchell Starc has moved up nine places to 33rd after returning five wickets for 142 runs.

Amongst the other bowlers from the Sydney Test are Australia duo Shane Watson and Josh Hazlewood, up to 38th and a career-high 46threspectively.

New Zealand’s Doug Bracewell has moved up nine places to 39th, with Sri Lanka’s Suranga Lakmal moving up two places to a career-high 48th. South Africa’s Dale Steyn still heads the bowling rankings and holds a commanding 79 points lead over second-placed Ryan Harris.

Rank	Player	Country	Points
1	Dale Steyn	South Africa	905
2	Ryan Harris	Australia	826
3	Rangana Herath	Sri Lanka	807
4	James Anderson	England	806
5	Mitchell Johnson	Australia	804
6	Trent Boult	New Zealand	795
7	Vernon Philander	South Africa	780
8	Stuart Broad	England	774
9	Kemar Roach	West Indies	759
10	Tim Southee	New Zealand	743

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