CHANDERPAUL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC):

WEST INDIES batting stalwart Shivnarine Chanderpaul has vaulted to an all-time best No. 2 in the world Test rankings after another fruitful series.

The Guyanese left-hander shone for the West Indies against world champions Australia in the three-match series that ended on Monday and although the Aussies won 2-0, Chanderpaul clutched the Man of the Series award with splendid returns.In six innings, he scored 442 runs at an amazing average of 147.33, including two centuries and three fifties.

Chanderpaul moves ahead of Australians Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey in the rankings and has positioned himself only three ratings points behind top-ranked batsman Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan.There is only one other West Indies player in the batting top 20, as Ramnaresh Sarwan climbs one spot to No. 20.

Biggest mover

Young West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall is the biggest mover of the week, progressing 54 places to 82nd position following his fine knock of 85 in the second innings against Australia.

The top frame for bowling has no changes from one to 10 with Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan keeping the top position, ahead of South African Dale Steyn, followed by Australians Stuart Clark and Brett Lee, then South African Makhaya Ntini and Ryan Sidebottom of England.

Steady pacer Jerome Taylor unseats Corey Collymore as the highest rated West Indies bowler, displacing the Barbadian in the No. 12 spot.

The West Indies now have four bowlers in the top 30, with Fidel Edwards up two places to 28th and Dwayne Bravo now at 30, up four places from the previous rankings.The Australia series also boosted the stocks of Bravo in the all-rounder category.

The lively Trinidadian is up one place to No. 4, behind South African Jacques Kallis, Daniel Vettori of New Zealand and England's Andrew Flintoff.

Bravo's move relegated Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas to No. 5.

In the Test team championship rating, the Australians stay top with 141 ratings points, 30 points clear of India (111), who are closely followed by England (110), South Africa (109) and Sri Lanka (106).

Pakistan (94) are sixth, followed by New Zealand six points further back in seventh on 88, with the West Indies (77) eighth and Bangladesh ninth on one point.