South African batter Laura Wolvaardt has been highly rewarded for her stellar form in the ongoing ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. She claimed the numero-uno spot in the list of top-ranked ODI batters in world cricket.
South Africa have proved to be the best side in the competition after former champions Australia and one of the primary reasons behind that is the form of their senior batter in Wolvaardt.
Wolvaardt has smashed as many as 433 runs in seven innings at an average of 61.86, which includes five 50-plus scores, and she is comfortably the leading scorer of the tournament thus far, followed by Australian skipper Meg Lanning, who has racked up 358 runs in 7 innings at an average of 59.67.
Her imperious form has helped the Proteas cricketer move up two places and claim the number 1 spot. The champion opening batter was one of the linchpins behind South Africa's epic run-chase against Team India, scoring 80 at a strike rate of 101.27.
Wolvaardt has claimed the No.1 spot at the expense of Australian opener and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy, who has now dropped four places to claim the fifth spot.
Her fellow teammate Beth Mooney has regained her second spot, while Meg Lanning (third) and England all-rounder Natalie Sciver (fourth) make up the top-5 in the latest ICC women rankings for batters.
Indian skipper Mithali Raj did not have a great campaign by her very high standards, but her half-century in what proved to be her side's last game against South Africa has helped her leapfrog three places and claim the sixth spot.
Stylish opener and the mainstay of India's batting, Smriti Mandhana, has retained her 10th spot. Mandhana finished her WC campaign as the 5th highest run-getter. In 7 games, the southpaw scored 327 runs at an average of 46.71 with two 50+ scores, including a hundred against West Indies. Harmanpreet Kaur has moved one place to claim the 16th spot after she scored 318 runs in 7 games @ 53 apiece.
As far as rankings for bowlers are concerned, champion left-arm orthodox Sophie Ecclestone, who has scalped the most number of wickets (14) in the ongoing World Cup- has regained the number one spot, and she is followed by fellow Australian spinner Jess Jonassen.
Proteas pacer Shabnim Ismail has moved one spot to claim the third position at the expense of veteran Australian seamer Megan Schutt, while legendary Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami, who didn't feature in the last two games due to injury, has moved up to the fifth spot.
In terms of all-rounders, legendary Australian seam-bowling all-rounder Ellyse Perry has retained her top spot, while England's Katherine Brunt has moved two places to claim the 9th spot.
Nida Dar, who scored 118 runs and claimed 10 wickets for Pakistan at the World Cup, has leapfrogged four places to claim the 12th spot. On the other hand, Bangladesh cricketer Salma Khatun has moved seven spots to claim 19th place.