Tamim Iqbal ignited the fourth day's play at Lord's with a second-innings 103 and has now jumped six places among the world's leading batsmen to No.25, his highest ranking. England captain Andrew Strauss has returned to the top 20, and is the only England player in that select group, after scores of 83 and 82 in England's eight-wicket victory. Steven Finn, man of the match at Lord's, is rewarded for his nine wickets with a 48-place jump but, still only at No.48, England's latest fast bowler is still very much at the beginning of his career.Tamim hit 55 in the first innings of the opening Test, making it five scores over fifty in his last six Test innings against England. His reward is a place in the top 30 list of batsmen which is still headed by India's Virender Sehwag.Tamim Iqbal carried that exuberance an extra yard or 20. Having cavorted through the nineties in a calculated assault on Tim Bresnan, he secured Bangladesh's first Test century at the home of cricket with a dismissive smack back over the bowler's head, whereupon he hurtled almost to within touching distance of the dressing-room balcony, and pointed to the back of his shirt as if to tell his team-mates to get on with the business of sticking his name up on the honours-board. Clearly, in his excitement, Tamim forgot that his name only appears on his back in ODI and Twenty20 contests, but after racking up a sublime century from 94 deliveries, he might as well have been playing limited-overs. Tamim rifled Steven Finn through midwicket for four. The shot was the third of three fours in a row, and whereas the first two were based entirely on bravado - a bludgeoning drive and a streaky edge - this was an emphatic stamp of class. The ball was short and rose steeply, but Tamim rocked back with his weight perched daintily on one leg, a la Brian Lara, and all that remained was for the fielders to whistle in admiration. Tamim and Imrul Kayes have been like the hare and the tortoise - only without the twist to the end of the fable. Until this Test, Kayes' highest score in 22 Test innings had been a measly 33, and it was to his great credit that the lure of Lord's brought him out of his shell. After a first-innings 43, Kayes was briefly the pacesetter in the follow-on, as he hustled along to 48 from 71 balls, with Tamim trailing in his wake on 37 not out (albeit from just 44 balls). But then, while Kayes fretted over his landmark, Tamim went into overdrive, adding 40 runs to his total from 27 balls before his partner could notch up his fifty. Tamim's response was to batter England's Player of the Year into submission from the word go. The first ball was a mistimed charge that telegraphed his intent; the second ball was belted high and handsomely into the Mound Stand for six. A brutal drive for four came next, and then it was down onto one knee once more, for another scintillating slog-sweep over the ropes. Seventeen runs were swiped from the over, as England's toils continued.
Top Test Batsmen
ID Rat. Name Nat. Career Best Rating
1 863 V. Sehwag IND 863 v South Africa, 14/02/2010
2 842 H.M. Amla SA 842 v India, 14/02/2010
3 836 D.P.M.D. Jayawardena SL 883 v India, 20/11/2009
4 835 K.C. Sangakkara SL 938 v England, 01/12/2007
5 834 M.J. Clarke AUS 855 v England, 09/08/2009
6 824 G. Gambhir IND 886 v Sri Lanka, 24/11/2009
7 805 S.R. Tendulkar IND 898 v Zimbabwe, 21/02/2002
8 790 J.H. Kallis SA 935 v New Zealand, 18/11/2007
9 786 G.C. Smith SA 843 v England, 14/01/2010
10 766 R.L. Taylor NZ 775 v Pakistan, 03/12/2009
11 765 S. Chanderpaul WI 901 v New Zealand, 19/12/2008
12 760 S.M. Katich AUS 760 v New Zealand, 27/03/2010
13 754 Younus Khan PAK 880 v Sri Lanka, 21/02/2009
14 748 V.V.S. Laxman IND 753 v Australia, 02/01/2004
15 745 R.T. Ponting AUS 942 v England, 01/12/2006
16 713 R. Dravid IND 892 v Pakistan, 16/03/2005
17 707 T.T. Samaraweera SL 747 v India, 24/11/2009
18 699 A.B. de Villiers SA 745 v England, 16/12/2009
19 692 A.J. Strauss ENG 769 v South Africa, 13/01/2005
20 688 C.H. Gayle WI 704 v England, 13/02/2009
21 687 M.E.K. Hussey AUS 921 v West Indies, 23/05/2008
22 675 T.M. Dilshan SL 700 v India, 20/11/2009
23 671 K.P. Pietersen ENG 909 v West Indies, 28/05/2007
24 667 A.N. Cook ENG 711 v Sri Lanka, 18/12/2007
25 662 M.S. Dhoni IND 662 v South Africa, 14/02/2010
25 662 Tamim Iqbal BAN 662 v England, 31/05/2010
source by-cricinfo.com
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