Joe Root has replaced Steven Smith as the world's number one ranked batsman in Test cricket after playing a key role in England regaining the Ashes.

The 24-year-old Yorkshireman struck a superb 130, his second hundred of the series, in England's innings and 78-run win in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

Victory, completed inside three days, gave England an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Root has scored 443 runs in the series, with two hundreds and two half-centuries, at an average of 71.79.

The latest edition of the International Cricket Council's rankings published Sunday saw Root on top of the batting standings, with Australia's Smith, out for six and five in Nottingham, dropping down to third place.

South Africa's AB de Villiers was second in the standings. 

Meanwhile the equivalent bowling rankings saw England's Stuart Broad climb to a career-high second place on the back of a stunning first-innings return of eight for 15 on his Nottinghamshire ground that was behind Australia's collapse to 60 all out.

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The 29-year-old pacemen's ninth wicket of the match, taken in the second innings, saw him edge past fast bowling great Fred Trueman into fourth place in England's list of all-time leading Test wicket-takers.

Broad has taken 308 wickets in 83 Tests to date and is 17 behind former England fast bowler Bob Willis.

A combination of Broad's form and the absence at Trent Bridge of the injured James Anderson has seen the Lancashire paceman drop to third in the ICC standings, still headed by South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn.

Australia fast bowler Michell Johnson moved down two places to seventh.

Victory at Trent Bridge also produced a statistical landmark for Alastair Cook as he became only the third English captain, after W.G. Grace and Mike Brearley, to twice win the Ashes on home soil.

Leading ICC Test player rankings as of August 9 after the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge (rank, change in ranking, player, team, ranking points, average, highest ranking points):

    Batting
    01 (+2) Joe Root         ENG 917 56.58 917 v AUS at Trent Bridge   2015 
    02 (-)  AB de Villiers   RSA 890 52.09 935 v AUS at Port Elizabeth 2014 
    03 (-2) Steven Smith     AUS 884 54.66 936 v ENG at Lord's         2015 
    04 (-)  Hashim Amla      RSA 881 52.48 907 v PAK at Abu Dhabi      2013 
    05 (-)  Kumar Sangakkara SRI 874 58.04 938 v ENG at Kandy          2007
    06 (-)  Angelo Mathews   SRI 860 51.67 877 v NZL at Christchurch   2014
    07 (-)  Younus Khan      PAK 829 54.07 880 v SRI at Lahore         2009
    08 (-)  Kane Williamson  NZL 813 45.70 860 v ENG at Lord's         2015
    09 (-)  Chris Rogers     AUS 763 42.86 793 v ENG at Lord's         2015
    10 (+1) Virat Kohli      IND 755 45.73 784 v NZL at Wellington     2014
     
Bowling
    01 (-)  Dale Steyn       RSA 905 22.48 909 v WIS at Centurion      2014
    02 (+3) Stuart Broad     ENG 852 28.97 852 v AUS at Trent Bridge   2015
    03 (-1) James Anderson   ENG 815 29.38 847 v WIS at Barbados       2015
    04 (-1) Trent Boult      NZL 814 27.12 825 v ENG at Lord's         2015
    05 (-1) Yasir Shah       PAK 810 24.81 810 v SRI at Pallekele      2015
    06 (+1) Vernon Philander RSA 770 22.13 912 v IND at Johannesburg   2013
    07 (-2) Mitchell Johnson AUS 765 28.03 849 v PAK at Dubai          2014
    08 (-)  Rangana Herath   SRI 752 30.17 851 v PAK at Colombo (SSC)  2014
    09 (-)  Tim Southee      NZL 713 31.63 799 v WIS at Jamaica        2014
    10 (-)  Morne Morkel     RSA 705 29.66 776 v AUS at Cape Town      2011