Chanderpaul - File

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC):

PROLIFIC WEST Indies left-hander Shivnarine has broken into the top five of the International Cricket Council (ICC) batting rankings for the first time.

On the crest of a wave of good form, Chanderpaul is now the number-five batsman in the latest Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings released on Wednesday.

He won the Man-of-the-Match award in the Digicel second Test against Australia, which ended in Antigua on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old Guyanese has gathered, in his past nine Test matches, 1,062 runs at a stunning average of 106.20, including five centuries and he has moved up two places from the number seven spot in the last ratings to share fifth with South African Jacques Kallis.

His solid run in the past 12 months has come on away tours to England and South Africa as well as this home series against Sri Lanka and Australia.

World's Top four

Chanderpaul is within range of world's top four. He is just three ratings points behind the number-four man Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan, and also within striking distance of Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka in third spot.

Australians Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting occupy the top positions, with Hussey at number one and Ponting stalking.

Ramnaresh Sarwan, who captained the West Indies against Australia in Antigua, just missed out on a return to the top 20 in the batting rankings after his fifth-day heroics at the Vivian Richards Stadium. Sarwan scored 65 in the first innings and then 128 in the second as he staged valuable partnerships with Runako Morton and Chanderpaul to fend off a West Indies defeat.

Set an improbable 372 to beat Australia, the West Indies finished on 266 for five after looking unsteady on 95 for three at lunch.

Chanderpaul, Sarwan, and injured Chris Gayle, who is 26th, are the only West Indians among the top 30 batsmen.

Also boosted by a strong performance in Antigua is the West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor. The Jamaican jumped back into the top 20 of the ICC Player Rankings for ICC bowlers after snaring five wickets in the match, including Ponting in both innings.

Taylor moved up 12 places to number 14, his highest ranking of a 19-match career to date.

Highest-ranked bowler

Corey Collymore, playing this season for Sussex in England after being omitted from the current home series, is the highest-ranked West Indies bowler at 12th, and Fidel Edwards (29th) is the only other bowler from the Caribbean on the top 30 list.

Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan retains the top spot in bowling, followed by South African pacer Dale Steyn, and the Australian pair of Stuart Clark and Brett Lee.