Petersen soars up test rankings
Proteas opener Alviro Petersen has broken into the top 20 of the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings for test batsmen for the first time in his career.
Petersen, who made 106 runs to pave the way in a crushing defeat of New Zealand in Cape Town last week, rose 11 places to 20th in the latest global ratings list released on Monday.
Hashim Amla remained South Africa's highest-ranked test batsman, retaining third position behind Australian Michael Clarke and West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Jacques Kallis, in sixth, and AB de Villiers, in seventh, held onto their places in the top 10.
Meanwhile, paceman Vernon Philander closed the gap on countryman Dale Steyn as the pair retained the top two spots in the test rankings for bowlers.
Philander picked up remarkable figures of 5-7 in New Zealand's first innings in Cape Town, and his match return of 7-83 saw him climb within 17 ratings points of Steyn, who retained the No 1 position.
Fellow speedster Morne Morkel also remained in the top 10, holding eighth place.
Kallis clung to the No 1 position among allrounders, 12 points clear of Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.
South Africa were five points clear of England at the top of the ICC test Championship table.
The Proteas face New Zealand, who are ranked eighth, in the second and final test in Port Elizabeth, which starts on Friday.
