England Women have received a boost heading into this month's Ashes by replacing Australia at the top of the ICC rankings.
It is the first time Heather Knight's side have topped the pile since the joint rankings were introduced in October 2015, with England now on 128.47 points.
Australia, on 128.43 points, had previously been ever-presents at the top of the rankings, which take into consideration performances in all three formats over the last three years.
Knight - who led England to World Cup glory earlier this year - said: "It's flattering to be named as the number one side in the world because it's a sign of how much progress we've made.
"It won't take anything away from the challenges ahead of us, though. We're a developing side and our journey isn't finished yet.
"We have plenty more hard work to do, starting with the Ashes in Australia this winter but it has been a great 12 months for us. We'll never forget the feeling of winning the ICC Women's World Cup on home soil and we want to keep pushing forward as a side so we can experience more moments like that."
England head to Australia this month where they will play one Test, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20s, starting in Brisbane on October 22.
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