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The South Africans have now set their highest rating in Test cricket history with 1150 ratings points. They retain second place in the ratings having narrowed Australia's lead to 54 points.
South Africa has increased its rating by a total of 124 points since returning from sporting isolation in 1992. During this time they have taken a secure hold on second place in the Test ratings.
They now lead third placed England by nearly 100 points. South Africa has not lost a Test series since their tour of England in 1998. The last time they lost a Test series at home was against Australia in March 1997.
At many times in the past, South Africa would have held first place in the ratings with a rating of 1150 points. However, they find themselves competing in an era when the Australians are striving to set new ratings records.
South Africa may have a chance to topple the Australians at the end of the year and claim first place in the ratings. To do this they will need a very successful tour of the West Indies to increase their rating and reduce the Australian's lead.
This will be no easy task. The West Indians have struggled to win a test on tour for the last six years. However, during that same period they have not lost a home series since the Australian tour of 1995. The South Africans will need to work very hard to achieve a series victory in the Caribbean.
At the same time, any Test victories that India and England can earn against Australia will also help the South African cause by lowering the Australian rating.
Sri Lanka retains eighth place in the ratings with 976 ratings points. The Sri Lankans managed to draw their home series against South Africa that ended in August 2000. A repeat of that effort in this series would have been enough for them to overtake New Zealand and claim seventh place in the rankings.
Sri Lanka has never been rated above the Kiwis since they entered Test competition in 1982.
The Sri Lankans have improved their rating for most of the last two and a half years. They appeared to be ready to pass the 1000 rating point barrier for the first time in history. However, in the last six months the Sri Lankan rating seems to have reached a plateau and they have failed to make any further progress toward this barrier.
Sri Lanka now return home to host a three Test tour by England starting in late February 2001. The English have won their last three Test series and shown in Pakistan that their batsmen can play spin on slow turning wickets.
Sri Lanka will need to at least draw that series to start to recover some of the ratings points they lost to South Africa.
The latest test cricket ratings are: 1 Australia (1204); 2 South Africa (1150); 3 England (1056); 4 Pakistan (1053); 5 West Indies (1025); 6 India (1011); 7 New Zealand (988); 8 Sri Lanka (976); 9 Zimbabwe (911); 10 Bangladesh (876p - provisional).
