Nicola Browne is leading New Zealander in Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Rankings

All-rounder Nicola Browne is New Zealand’s only player in the top 10 of both the batting and bowling listings of the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Rankings, which have just been launched by the ICC.

The 25-year-old was the leading run-getter with 178 runs in the Rose Bowl series against Australia earlier this year. This performance has put her in sixth place of the batting rankings and just behind England’s Charlotte Edwards who won the ICC Women’s Player of the Year in 2008.

Browne hopes the women’s rankings will increase the profile of the sport.

"To have a system which rates individual performances will really help raise the profile of the game. It will help give people an understanding of how we are doing as they can’t always watch the sport on television," Brown said.

"In terms of lifting the profile of an individual I think that the rankings will definitely help. When you’re out on the field you’ll still just be playing the game which is in front of you but it gives the individual another goal to strive for and focus on."

"Cricket is a team sport but you do have individual performances that stand out, so it will be nice to be recognised for your achievements," she added.

Sara McGlashen, the 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, in 10th place leads a trail of three New Zealand batters with 29-year-old Haidee Tiffen in 11th position and 26-year-old left-hander Aimee Mason in 12th spot.

Mason is New Zealand’s highest-ranked bowler in eighth place while Browne is just behind her team-mate with one ratings point separating the two.

Sophie Devine, the 19-year-old fast bowler who made her debut at the age of 17, is in 20th spot.

25-year-old fast bowler Louise Milliken (23rd), Tsukigawa (25th) and 26-year-old fast bowler Sarah Burke (28th) are the other notable New Zealand bowlers.

Browne and Mason are third and fourth respectively in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Rankings for all-rounders and putting pressure on the Australian duo of Lisa Sthalekar and Shelly Nitschke.

About Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Rankings and women’s cricket.

The rankings have been introduced as part of the ICC’s continued promotion of women’s cricket. They will initially apply to ODI cricket only and will help identify where the leading players stand in women’s international cricket to add further competition and context to their achievements.

The first set of the rankings have been released ahead of the eagerly awaited series between Australia and India to be played in Sydney and Canberra from 31 October to 9 November.

The other series to be played in the lead-up to the ICC Women’s World Cup in March 2009 include the five-match ODI series between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in Sri Lanka from 5 November to 12 November and the traditional Rose Bowl series between New Zealand and Australia in New Zealand from 1 to 12 February.

Next year will be huge for women’s cricket with the ICC Women’s World Cup to be played in Sydney, Australia, from 7 to 22 March. This will be the first time the biggest event in women’s cricket will be played under the banner of the ICC following the merger with the International Women’s Cricket Council in 2005.

Then in June, the ICC World Twenty20 in England will include a men’s and women’s competition running simultaneously. The semi-finals and final of the women’s event will be played at the same venue on the same day as the men’s tournament.

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Rankings (as of 16 October)

Batsmen

Bowlers

All-rounders

* Indicates provisional rating
!indicates career-highest rating

Full details of the ICC Women’s World Cup, including fixtures, team profiles and biographies on all leading players, can be found at www.icc-cricket.yahoo.com/wwc-2009