Cricket: Independent on Sunday Ratings

The Independent on Sunday cricket ratings take into account all major matches played in England during the season, differing credit being given for runs scored and wickets taken depending on the strength of the opposition. Bowlers are also rewarded for economy and strike rate

Batting

1 B C Lara (Warwickshire) 734 2 D M Ward (Surrey) 607 3 G A Gooch (Essex) 582 4 J P Crawley (Lancashire) 565 5 A J Stewart (Surrey) 518 6 C J Adams (Derbyshire) 512 7 D J Bicknell (Surrey) 477 8 P Johnson (Nottinghamshire) 475 9 M Saxelby (Durham) 474 10 P V Simmons (Leicestershire) 471 11 M D Moxon (Yorkshire) 470 12 W Larkins (Durham) 468 13 N Hussain (Essex) 462 14 M N Lathwell (Somerset) 453 15 G P Thorpe (Surrey) 445 16 J C Adams (Nottinghamshire) 444 17 C L Hooper (Kent) 438 18 R A Smith (Hampshire) 433 19 N E Briers (Leicestershire) 429 20 M Azharuddin (Derbyshire) 425

Bowling

1 J E Benjamin (Surrey) 771 2 C A Walsh (Gloucestershire) 677 3 D J Millns (Leicestershire) 551 4 Mushtaq Ahmed (Somerset) 500 5 M C Ilott (Essex) 495 6 M P Bicknell (Surrey) 472 7 M M Patel (Kent) 449 8 A R K Pierson (Leicestershire) 431 9 P A J DeFreitas (Derbyshire) 430 10 T A Munton (Warwickshire) 424 11 F D Stephenson (Sussex) 423 M S Kasprowicz (Essex) 423 13= P J Newport (Worcestershire) 417 N V Radford (Worcestershire) 417 15 Wasim Akram (Lancashire) 409 16 R A Pick (Nottinghamshire) 403 17 P M Such (Essex) 399 18 M A Butcher (Surrey) 393 19 J A Afford (Nottinghamshire) 388 20 G C Small (Warwickshire) 384

Records

In the last Championship match:

Brian Lara failed in his attempt to become the fourth batsman to hit centuries in six consecutive innings, when he was dismissed for 26 by Middlesex's Richard Johnson at Lord's.

John Crawley scored 281 not out, just five runs short of the career-best he made for England A against Eastern Province last winter, for Lancashire against Somerset.

Wasim Akram returned the best match figures of the season (13 for 117) and second innings figures of eight for 30, his best in first-class cricket and also the best of the season, in the same game.

Best men

Run-scorers

B C Lara (Warwickshire) 675 J P Crawley (Lancashire) 606 G A Gooch (Essex) 501 M D Moxon (Yorkshire) 493 M Saxelby (Durham) 478 P Johnson (Nottinghamshire) 474 D M Ward (Surrey) 470 M W Gatting (Middlesex) 468 W Larkins (Durham) 458 J C Adams (Nottinghamshire) 443

Wicket-takers

J E Benjamin (Surrey) 32 C A Walsh (Gloucestershire) 32 M M Patel (Kent) 29 D J Millns (Leicestershire) 27 Mushtaq Ahmed (Somerset) 26 M C Ilott (Essex) 26 S J E Brown (Durham) 21 M S Kasprowicz (Essex) 21 J Wood (Durham) 20 J A Afford (Nottinghamshire) 20

Wicketkeepers

R C Russell (Gloucestershire, 22ct) 22 R J Blakey (Yorkshire, 20ct, 2st) 22 P A Nixon (Leicestershire, 18ct, 1st) 19 S J Rhodes (Worcestershire, 15ct, 2st) 17 P Moores (Sussex, 16ct) 16