Australia grabbed a full 120 points from their series win against New Zealand and are firmly placed in the second position on the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points table.
Australia are on 296 points after completing the 3-0 series win and only behind India, who are on 360 points from three series. Australia had earlier gained a full 120 points in a two-match home series against Pakistan and earned 56 for a 2-2 draw with England.
New Zealand remain on 60 points after two series, having split points for a 1-1 series draw with Sri Lanka earlier on. Sri Lanka and Pakistan are slightly ahead with 80 points each.
Each series of the WTC is worth 120 points, distributed evenly over the number of matches in a series. The points range from 60 points for each match of a two-Test series to 24 for each match of a five-Test series.
England and South Africa, currently engaged in a four-Test series which hosts South Africa lead 1-0, are on 56 and 30 points, respectively, while the West Indies and Bangladesh have yet to earn a point after one series each, played against India.
The top two teams at the end of the league will play the final in the UK in June 2021 with the winners crowned the World Test Champions.
England opener Burns doubtful for Sri Lanka tour
England opener Rory Burns is a doubt for England’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in March as he faces surgery on an ankle ligament injury sustained playing football in South Africa.
Burns was injured ahead of the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town and has been ruled out of the remainder of the four-match series, but now faces the prospect of being sidelined for Sri Lanka as well, according to reports in the British press.
England have battled with a settled opening partnership in recent years, but Burns has brought some solidity to the top of the order, and was impressive with a fighting 84 in the first Test loss to South Africa in Pretoria.
He was injured on Thursday while playing football to warm-up for training at Newlands, and was immediately ruled him out of the rest of the tour.
Front foot no-ball technology to be tried during West Indies-Ireland series
The upcoming limited overs series between the West Indies and Ireland will be contested trialling technology that will authorise the third umpire to call front foot no-balls, like during West Indies' recent ODI and T20I tour of India.
During the trial, which will be carried out in all three ODIs and three T20Is, the third umpire will monitor each ball for any front foot infringement and communicate it to the on-field umpire to call a no-ball.
The on-field umpires will not call any front foot no-balls unless instructed by the third umpire, but will remain responsible for other on-field decisions in the usual way.
The benefit of the doubt will lie with the bowler, and if a late no-ball call is communicated, then the on-field umpire will rescind a dismissal (if applicable) and signal a no ball.
The outcomes of the trial will be used to gauge whether the system has a beneficial impact on the accuracy of no-ball decisions and whether it can be implemented while minimizing disruption to the flow of the game.
The ICC trialled no-ball technology for the first time during a one-day series between England and Pakistan in 2016.
