Eng to reclaim 2nd spot in ICC Test rating

Dubai: England`s stunning victory against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Cardiff has kept it on course to reclaim second position on the ICC Test Championship table for the first time in more than three years.

Although the Test Championship table will be updated only at the end of the series, a 3-0 series win will put England one ratings point ahead of South Africa. England last occupied the second position in November 2007.

England players Chris Tremlett, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell, who engineered the stunning an innings and 14 runs victory over Sri Lanka, also achieved their career-best rankings in the list released today.

Swann, who bagged 4-16 in the second innings to finish with figures of 7-94, has strengthened his second position on the ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, which is still headed by Dale Steyn of South Africa.

Tremlett, who claimed 4-40 in the second innings to earn match figures of 5-121, has gained seven places and is now on a career-best ranking of 27th.

Among the Test batsmen, man of the match Jonathan Trott, who scored 203, has moved up one place to join former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara in third position.

Ian Bell was also rewarded for his innings of 103 not out with a jump of three places to the 18th position for the first time in his career.
Skipper Alastair Cook also earned 15 ratings points for his innings of 133 which has put him on 818 ratings points and just 38 points behind the pair of Trott and Sangakkara.

Sri Lanka opener Tharanga Paranavithana and wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardena moved up one place to 44th spot and six places to 51st position respectively.

Dernbach replaces Anderson for Lord's Test

  

                                                                                                      

Uncapped Surrey seamer Jade Dernbach was called up into a 12-man England squad on Tuesday for the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's starting on Friday after James Anderson was forced out with injury.

Anderson suffered a side strain during the course of England's first Test win and the swing bowler was not on the field when Sri Lanka were shot out for just 82 at Sophia Gardens here on Monday to give the hosts an innings and 14 run victory that left them 1-0 up in this three-match series.

Dernbach was the only addition to the England squad, having seen off the challenge of the already-capped Ajmal Shahzad and Graham Onions and will now compete with Middlesex fast bowler Steven Finn, left out in Cardiff, for a place in the side at Lord's.

The 25-year-old Dernbach has yet to play for any senior England team despite being called up to the one-day squad for the World Cup quarter-final against Sri Lanka in March. Dernbach wasn't selected to for that match but starred for the second-string England Lions by taking nine wickets against Sri Lanka in a recent tour match.

His inclusion means five players in England's 12 man squad -- captain Andrew Strauss, batsmen Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen and wicketkeeper Matt Prior are the others -- were born in South Africa, with Trott, Pietersen and Dernbach all educated in the Republic.

England hope to have Anderson fit in time for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl, starting on June 16 and national selector Geoff Miller said: "It's obviously disappointing to lose Jimmy Anderson for the next Test as he is world-class and the leader of our attack.

"But we're fortunate to have a healthy stock of pace bowlers at present. We're hopeful Jimmy will be available for the third Test but in the meantime we're excited by Jade Dernbach's inclusion.

"Jade is a talented young bowler and after excelling with the England Performance Programme over the winter he enjoyed considerable success with the ball against Sri Lanka while playing for the England Lions prior to the first Test," former England off-spinner Miller added.

Squad:

Andrew Strauss (c), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn, Jade Dernbach.