South Africa has taken the top spot in International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ODI Championship table following its 39-run victory over Australia in Perth Saturday. The Proteas were three ratings points behind Ricky Ponting’s men going into the fifth and final ODI of the series, but now they move ahead by a fraction of a point and top the ladder for the first time since April 2008 when they briefly wrested No. 1 spot from Australia’s grasp.
Australia have an immediate opportunity to take back the top spot as its five-match series against New Zealand begins Sunday. The table is so tight at the top that victory in that first ODI will send Australia right back to where it has spent the vast majority of the past seven years since the rankings were devised.
Meanwhile, India is hovering just outside the top two and is now just five ratings points behind South Africa and Australia after winning the first match of a five-ODI series in Sri Lanka.
At the other end of the table, Zimbabwe has moved up one place to 10th in the rankings after winning the opening two matches of its five-ODI series in Kenya.
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