Scotland lead Associate ODI rankings

Scotland have underlined their position at the top of the ICC Associate ODI rankings after good performances in the World Cricket League in Nairobi. Kenya, who beat Scotland in the final, are not included as they are part of the main rankings until 2009.

Scotland beta Netherlands, Canada and Ireland in the tournament, giving them a 69% win rate against other Associates, well clear of Netherlands in second place. Ireland ate third after a disappointing event, Canada are fourth and Bermuda fifth.

These are still the early stages of the ICC Associate ODI Rankings. Following the ICC Trophy in 2005, ODI status was granted to matches involving the teams that came in the top five (Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Bermuda and the Netherlands) as part of their preparation for the World Cup.

Once an Associate has played at least 10 matches in total, it has the opportunity to be promoted to the main ICC ODI Championship table (currently comprising the ten ICC Full Members plus Kenya). To gain this promotion, the Associate must either achieve two wins against Full Members or achieve one win against a Full Member and also have won more than 60% of its matches against other Associates on the rankings table.

Thomas Odoyo is the only Associate player to feature in the top 20 of any category. The 28-year-old is currently ranked 17th in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI allrounders. Primarily a fast bowler, Odoyo smashed an unbeaten 61 and shared a winning tenth-wicket stand of 55 with Hiren Varaiya to beat Ireland. Odoyo is also currently in 36th place in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, just behind his team-mate Peter Ongondo, who is in 33rd position and is the highest ranked Associate bowler in the world.

Kenya captain Steve Tikolo is currently in 63rd position while Kenya spinner Varaiya is in 85th spot, giving Kenya four bowlers ranked above anyone else in the Associate world. Bermuda's Dwayne Leverock is in 88th position while John Davison of Canada is 95th, Tim de Leede of the Netherlands is in 97th place and Scotland's Craig Wright is 102nd.

Tikolo is the top Associate batsman according to the latest ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen in 63rd place although he is closely followed by team-mate Tanmay Mishra in 67th spot and Ryan ten Doeschate of the Netherlands in 72nd place.

Every August, this table will be updated to exclude ODIs played more than three years previously. The only matches other than ODIs that are counted as qualifying matches and included in the Associate rankings are the 2005 ICC Trophy matches played between the five teams during the course of the tournament.