Ponting tops test batting rankings

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LONDON, England -- Australia's Ricky Ponting has ended the year as the world's top batsman in the PriceWaterhouseCoopers test cricket rankings.

Ponting, who scored his third double century of the year in Australia's test win over India this week, finished ahead of West Indian star Brian Lara and teammate Matthew Hayden.

Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan topped the bowling rankings, ahead of South African Shaun Pollock and Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar.

Test Rankings

BATSMEN

Player Country Points Average

1. Ricky Ponting Australia 907 56.36

2. Brian Lara West Indies 897 52.14

3. Matthew Hayden Australia 893 58.54

4. Rahul Dravid India 881 56.78

5. Inzamam-ul-Haq Pakistan 811 49.85

6. Jacques Kallis South Africa 790 50.51

7. Herschelle Gibbs South Africa 781 46.47

8. Mark Richardson New Zealand 775 49.02

9. Gary Kirsten South Africa 763 45.47

10. M.Jayawardene Sri Lanka 754 49.07

BOWLERS

Player Country Points Average

1. Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka 908 22.94

2. Shaun Pollock South Africa 877 20.83

3. Shoaib Akhtar Pakistan 861 23.40

4. Glenn McGrath Australia 806 21.71

5. Jason Gillespie Australia 748 24.89

6. Makhaya Ntini South Africa 745 28.88

7. Daryl Tuffey New Zealand 721 27.32

8. Anil Kumble India 686 28.48

9. Harbhajan Singh India 662 28.47

10. Jacques Kallis South Africa 642 29.54

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