Cricket Rankings

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31770, 29 August 1968, Page 10

Cricket Rankings

By its exciting victory at the Oval, England won the satisfaction of sharing the test cricket series with Australia, and history will surely say the home team was unlucky not to have won back the Ashes, held by Australia since 1958-59. The drawn rubber no doubt adds to the confusion of those who like a sense of order in sport, for the top four test-playing countries today are extraordinarily even in strength. In the last four years Australia has narrowly beaten England in one series and drawn the other two; England has beaten and lost to South Africa, beaten and lost to the West Indies; Australia has lost to South Africa and the West Indies. The statisticians among the millions still held in thrall by cricket might rank South Africa first, West Indies second, and England and Australia equal third. Two reasons may cause New Zealanders to regret that the picture is not clearer. First, although New Zealand beat the West Indies at their last meeting, and in recent years has drawn series with England, South Africa, and Pakistan, even the compelling eloquence of the administrative head of New Zealand cricket might not persuade others that this country leads the way. The second, and more substantial, reason is that South Africa and the West Indies, with the best claims to top ranking, have not met and will not meet, because of influences which seem far removed from the cricket pitch.