By IANS,
Dubai : England have displaced South Africa and moved up to third place in the ICC Test Championship table after their 2-0 series win over New Zealand Sunday.
England scored a comfortable innings and nine-run victory over New Zealand at Trent Bridge Sunday in their third and final Test. The hosts had won the second Test at Old Trafford, while the opening Test at the Lord’s ended in a draw.
The 2-0 series win takes England past South Africa in the ICC Test championship table and places them below India and table-toppers Australia.
Michael Vaughan’s men were on 108 ratings points prior to the start of the series, one behind the Proteas, but now they have moved up to 110, just one point behind India, which is in the second spot on the rankings table.
Australia are currently 30 points clear at the top of the table and have no danger of being caught any time soon. However, the ladder is a more congested further down with just five points separating India in second position and Sri Lanka in fifth.
England could have ended this series in second position had it won all three Tests but it can still wind up its summer ahead of India, if it outperforms South Africa and India does not win its Test series in Sri Lanka.
However, if South Africa edges the four-match series, it could go into second position depending on how the Test series between Sri Lanka and India pans out. So there is plenty at stake for both England and South Africa as they prepare for the first Test at the Lord’s on July 10.
Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship (as on June 8)
1 Australia (141 points)
2 India (111)
3 England (110)
4 South Africa (109)
5 Sri Lanka (106)
6 Pakistan (94)
7 New Zealand (88)
8 West Indies (77)
9 Bangladesh (1)