Lara reaches best Rating of the 1990s (31 March 1999)

31 March 1999

Lara reaches best Rating of the 1990s

PricewaterhouseCoopers Media Release

Brian Lara's second match-winning innings in consecutive Tests has lifted him to the highest Rating achieved by any batsman in the 1990s. Lara's unbeaten 153, made against a bowling attack rated by the computer as one of the best of recent years, has lifted him to 912 points.

Any Rating above 900 points is exceptional: Steve Waugh is the only other batsman who has reached that level since Viv Richards in the early 1980s (see table below).

Two bowlers who have in the past reached 900 points also played in this memorable Barbados Test match. Curtly Ambrose's Rating has drifted downwards in 1999, but he remains fourth in the bowling. Shane Warne, on the other hand, has moved sharply down the Ratings. His current position of 21st is his lowest since 1993.

Stuart MacGill has also slipped out of the top ten, but Jason Gillespie is up five places to 16th. Other significant movements in the PwC Ratings include Sherwin Campbell who has climbed 14 places in the batting to 29th.

Best PwC batting ratings achieved since 1960: Viv Richards 940 (1981) Gary Sobers 936 (1968) Graeme Pollock 924 (1970) Doug Walters 916 (1970) Brian Lara 912 (1999) Steve Waugh 909 (1996) Sunil Gavaskar 909 (1979)

(Note that these are the peak ratings of these players reached at times in their careers when they were in outstanding form).