Ponting and Warne end year as No. 1

Ricky Ponting has had a brilliant year with the bat © Getty Images

Despite a year in which they lost the Ashes, Australia have ended 2005 with the top-ranked batsman and bowler in the world. Ricky Ponting took the No. 1 spot in the batting, following his 117 in the Boxing Day Test, while Shane Warne is secure at the top of the bowling rankings following 96 wickets in the year.

Ponting also topped the table of Test run-scorers for 2005, finishing with 1544 - the closest a player as been to Viv Richards' record of 1710 runs in 1976. He takes over from Jacques Kallis who has slipped to fifth following his double failure in Melbourne.

Matthew Hayden also leapfrogs Kallis into third after his 65 and 137, completing a stunning recovery which began with his century in the final Ashes Test at The Oval. Since that match he has made 855 runs in six Tests with four centuries to regain a firm grip on one of the opening positions in the Australian side.

Warne and Glenn McGrath head the bowling table after Warne broke Dennis Lillee's calendar record at Perth against South Africa and finished just four short of a 100 wickets after the Melbourne Test. South Africa's highest ranked bowler is Makhaya Ntini at No. 5, although Shaun Pollock and Andre Nel are also in the top 10.

For the complete rankings click here