AB de Villiers sets new world record in Tests

South Africa's wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers has set a new world record during the opening day of the second Test against Australia.

De Villiers became the first batsman in Test history to register 50 plus scores in 12 consecutive Tests.

The previous record was 11, jointly held by India's Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and West Indies' Vivian Richards. The 30-year-old right-hander, who captains South Africa in One Day Internationals, scored 51 not out on the opening day.

De Villiers' hot streak of half centuries started in November-December 2012 against Australia. He had made 169 in that game in Perth, which was Ricky Ponting's final Test.

Also during this knock yesterday, De Villiers completed 7,000 runs in Tests. He was playing his 90th Test. De Villiers made his Test debut against England in December 2004.

AB de Villiers' 50+ scores

1. 4, 169 Vs Australia, Perth, November-December 2012
2. 67 Vs New Zealand, Cape Town, January 2013
3. 51 Vs New Zealand, Porth Elizabeth, January 2013
4. 31, 103*, Vs Pakistan, Johannesburg, February 2013
5. 61, 36, Vs Pakistan, Cape Town, February 2013
6. 121 Vs Pakistan, Centurion, February 2013
7. 19, 90 Vs Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, October 2013
8. 164 Vs Pakistan, Dubai, October 2013
9. 13, 103 Vs India, Johannesburg, December 2013
10. 74 Vs India, Durban, December 2013
11. 91, 48 Vs Australia, Centurion, February 2014
12. 116 Vs Australia, Port Elizabeth, February 2014

Top 5 Most International Run Scorer in 2014

Top 5 Most International Run Scorer in 2014

• Kumar Sangakkara 778 runs (avg 77.80)
• Brendon McCullum 767 runs  (avg 63.91)
• Kane Williamson 594 runs (avg 54.00)
• Mahela Jayawardene 508 runs (avg 101.60)
• Virat Kohli 505 runs (avg 63.12)

Johnson moves to world No.4

Mitchell Johnson has leapt five places to be ranked the world's fourth-best bowler in the latest update to the Reliance ICC player rankings for Test bowlers.

Johnson destroyed South Africa with career-best figures of 12-127 in the opening Test at Centurion last week, and has taken 49 wickets at an average of 13 in his past six Test matches.

South Africa and Australia now occupy the top four positions in the bowling ranks, with Dale Steyn taking back the No.1 position from teammate Vernon Philander, while Ryan Harris remains consistent in third.

Philander had held top spot for 55 days but his match return of 1-97 at Centurion saw him drop 11 ranking points to fall back behind Steyn.

Steyn's Centurion returns of 4-78 and 2-61 in either innings saw him remain steady with 901 ranking points. The South African spearhead took top spot in July 2009 and spent 187 matches, or 1630 days, as the top-ranked bowler until Philander overtook him last December.

Peter Siddle sits in sixth position, while Lyon holds down 19th spot – one behind Ben Hilfenhaus who remains in the rankings despite not having played a Test since December 2012.

Lyon's 614 ranking points for 19th spot are light-years ahead of South Africa's first-choice spinner Robin Peterson, who sits in 64th spot with 259 points.

New Zealand’s Tim Southee moved up to a career-best ninth following his match haul of 5-143 in the Wellington Test against India. Southee is now on 757 ratings points, just 10 behind eighth-ranked teammate Trent Boult.

In the batsmen rankings, Blackcaps skipper Brendon McCullum’s spectacular match-saving knock of 302 in the Wellington Test against India has helped him jump eight places to a career-best 12th.

McCullum, who became the first New Zealand batsman to score a triple hundred, helped draw the second and final Test in Wellington on Tuesday, giving NZ a 1-0 series win.

McCullum shares 12th position with Australia’s David Warner, who moves up three spots of his 115 in the second innings in Centurion.

Meanwhile, India’s Virat Kohli has moved up two places to a career-high of ninth, following knocks of 38 and an unbeatedn 105 in Wellington, to break into the top 10 for the first time.

Kohli joins seventh-ranked teammate Cheteshwar Pujara (down by one) as the only two India batsmen inside the top 10.

Alex Doolan's gutsy knocks of 27 and 89 on debut have seem him enter the table in 59th spot, while Shaun Marsh returned to the table in 63rd position following scores of 148 and 44.

South Africa’s AB de Villiers continues to top the batting table, followed by Kumar Sangakkara in second position and Shivnarine Chanderpaul of West Indies in third place.

ICC rankings for Tests, ODIs and Twenty20

ICC Test Championship

8 February 2014

Team	Matches	Points	Rating
South Africa	30	3988	133
India	36	4213	117
Australia	39	4314	111
England	44	4713	107
Pakistan	29	2890	100
Sri Lanka	33	2953	89
West Indies	29	2516	87
New Zealand	34	2773	82
Zimbabwe	11	372	34
Bangladesh	19	359	19

ICC ODI Championship

31 January 2014

Team	Matches	Points	Rating
Australia	47	5505	117
India	63	7214	115
South Africa	44	4825	110
England	47	5102	109
Sri Lanka	56	6059	108
Pakistan	58	5873	101
New Zealand	43	4048	94
West Indies	48	4300	90
Bangladesh	26	2165	83
Zimbabwe	26	1439	55
Ireland	11	423	38
Kenya	5	103	21
Netherlands	8	48	6

ICC Twenty20 Championship

12 February 2014

Team	Matches	Points	Rating
Sri Lanka	25	2709	129
India	19	1843	123
South Africa	29	2418	123
Pakistan	40	3638	121
West Indies	24	2148	113
Australia	29	2526	110
New Zealand	29	2475	108
England	31	2522	105
Ireland	14	783	87
Bangladesh	16	853	71
Afghanistan	14	908	70
Netherlands	12	508	56
Scotland	13	545	50
Zimbabwe	16	553	46
Kenya	17	633	42
Canada	8	11	2

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