David Leggat: Taylor's tons lift him to seventh in world

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Ross Taylor does not toss and turn over cricket numbers, but he does take some interest.

So he might fancy taking a peek in a week at the world batting rankings.

Taylor's double hundred at Dunedin in the first test against the West Indies lifted him to a career-high seventh.

His century yesterday - making him the first New Zealand batsman to make a double and single century in consecutive tests - might bump him up another spot. But that depends on how those above him perform in the coming days.

For example, India's Cheteshwar Pujara is sixth on 801 points, and they are about to play two tests against South Africa, starting at Johannesburg next Wednesday night.

Even if it doesn't, it will surely lift him above 800 ranking points, and only Glenn Turner and Geoff Howarth among New Zealanders have reached that plateau.

Turner tops that list, with his 845 which he reached during the series against Australia in 1974. Taylor got to 794 after the Dunedin double ton.

Taylor has seven New Zealanders ahead of him who have reached higher world rankings, the most recent of whom is former opener Mark Richardson, who got to No6 in 2003.

The all time highest number of points accumulated is, to no surprise, Australian legend Don Bradman, who reached 961 points in 1948.

The top-ranked batsman is South African AB de Villiers on 909 points, followed by his compatriot Hashim Amla (898), Australian skipper Michael Clarke (884), Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (866), and West Indian veteran Shiv Chanderpaul (863).