Brathwaite at 69, jumps 35 spots on ICC ranking

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC) – Rookie West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite has made a dramatic jump in the ICC Test Player rankings, following his maiden Test century against New Zealand at Queen’s Park Oval earlier this week.

The 21-year-old right-hander has leapt 35 spots to be 69th, his highest ever position in the rankings. Brathwaite hit 129 in the second Test which West Indies on by ten wickets on Friday, to level the three-match series.

There was also movement for Jermaine Blackwood who stroked a half-century on debut in the second Test. He has entered the rankings at 67th, with 390 rating points.

Left-handed stroke-maker Darren Bravo has also climbed eight places to 21st, following his 109 against New Zealand. The century was his sixth, and first on Caribbean soil.

Opener Chris Gayle, who blasted an unbeaten 80 to lift the Windies to victory, moved up two places to 26th.

Veteran left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul is the highest-ranked West Indies batsman at number three, behind the number one-ranked AB de Villiers and Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara, who lies second.

There was also good news for fast bowler Jerome Taylor who has made a successful comeback to Test cricket, following a near five-year break. He has bowled outstandingly in both Tests of the series so far, and has been rewarded with a jump of 38 spots, to be 38th in the bowlers’ rankings.

His new ball partner Kemar Roach, returning for the current series following a year-long injury break, has remained 15th in the rankings.

West Indies face New Zealand in the final Test of the series starting Thursday at Kensington Oval in Barbados.

South Africa's Dale Steyn heads the bowling rankings.