RABADA AND DE KOCK INTO TOP-20 TEST PLAYER RANKINGS Proteas youngsters Kagiso Rabada and Quinton de Kock have moved up to career-high Test player rankings following the conclusion of the Perth Test on Monday, 7 November.

South Africa romped to a 177-run victory over Australia in the first Test, courtesy of a top team performance and in particular from Rabada and De Kock.

Rabada has jumped 10 places to 20th position in the bowlers’ table following figures of 2/78 and 5/92, which later earned him the Player of the Match Award.

The 21-year-old is the fourth South Africa fast bowler to feature inside the top 20 after Dale Steyn (second but ruled out of the series due to a shoulder injury), Vernon Philander (11th) and Morne Morkel (13th).

Rabada now has Australia’s Nathan Lyon firmly within his sights as the 16th-ranked off-spinner is 51 points ahead.

A bowler qualifies for a full rating after he has taken 100 wickets, while Rabada has claimed 36 wickets in nine tests.

De Kock scored 84 and 64 for which he has been rewarded with a jump of 11 places. This has put the left-hander in 20th spot in the batting chart.

The wicketkeeper-batsman has now become South Africa’s third batsman to feature inside the top 20.

Hashim Amla is sixth after dropping out of the top five following a five-place slide, while AB de Villiers, who is missing the series due to an injury, is seventh.

The 23-year-old de Kock looks strong to gain more points, which means he can move further up the order as he is still in the qualification period.

A batsman qualifies for a full rating after he has played in 40 Test innings, while de Kock has so far scored 720 runs in 17 innings of 11 tests.