Dubai, May 26 (IANS) England spinner Linsey Smith has climbed 38 places to a career-best second position in the latest ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings after starring in England’s 2-1 series win over New Zealand women’s ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Smith was named Player of the Series after picking up six wickets across the three matches, including figures of 3/25 in the second T20I at Canterbury. The left-arm spinner moved past fellow England spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who slipped to third place in the rankings.

England’s pace bowler Lauren Bell, who missed the final T20I after claiming three wickets in the opening two games, remains fourth, while stand-in captain Charlie Dean strengthened her hold on seventh spot following a five-wicket series haul. England now have four bowlers inside the top seven of the T20I rankings.

Spin continues to dominate the bowling charts, with eight spinners featuring in the top 10. Bell and Australia all-rounder Annabel Sutherland are the only seamers in that group. For New Zealand, left-arm pacer Bree Illing continued her impressive rise by moving up 12 places to 45th after taking four wickets in the series, while spinner Nensi Patel jumped 34 spots to joint-71st.

In the batting rankings, former New Zealand captain Sophie Devine returned to the top 10 for the first time in two years after scoring 132 runs in the series, including knocks of 45 and 87 in the opening two matches. There was limited movement among the top-ranked batters, partly due to the absence of England duo Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, while New Zealand stars Amelia Kerr and Suzie Bates endured a quiet series with the bat.

Australia continue to dominate the batting rankings, with Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney holding the top two spots. Tahlia McGrath remains sixth, while Phoebe Litchfield is joint-13th. New Zealand batter Maddy Green climbed eight places to 39th after scoring 93 runs in the series, highlighted by a 56-run knock in the second T20I, where she shared a national-record fifth-wicket partnership of 159 with Devine after New Zealand had slumped to 11/4.

England’s Maia Bouchier moved up from 40th to 34th, while Alice Capsey rose nine spots to 45th after scoring 99 runs in the series, including a career-best unbeaten 74 in England’s successful chase of 137 in Derby.

Meanwhile, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC Women’s T20I All-Rounder Rankings, overtaking Amelia Kerr. Matthews had previously held the top ranking for nearly two-and-a-half years, from October 2023 to March 2026, before Kerr replaced her earlier this year.

–IANS

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