Lara stays atop Test batting ratings

LONDON: West Indies cricket captain has maintained his place as the top batsman in world cricket.

Lara, double world record holder has 887 points with a 51.55 average and leads Indian Sachin tendulkar (843 points/57.57 average) in the PricewaterhouseCooper Test ratings released yesterday. South African Makhaya Ntini has climbed four places to sixth bowling ratings after his 10-wicket haul in the Second Test against England at Lord’s. His captain Graeme Smith, who scored a record 259 as South Africa completed an innings victory, also moves up seven places to 12th in the batting ratings. South African bowler Shaun Pollock, however, has slipped to second place behind Muttiah Muralitharan after suffering at the hands of Andrew Flintoff who scored a defiant century to salvage a little pride for England on Sunday. England bowler Darren Gough, who had miserable figures of 0-127 in the Second Test, is now out of the top 20 and at his lowest rating for six years.