Australia has kept its place on top of world Test cricket according to The Cricketer magazine's ratings system, despite the ICC's official rankings putting South Africa at No.1.

The Cricketer Test Ratings take all Tests into account rather than just series wins and Australia's comprehensive 4-1 victory in the Ashes series maintained its dominance.

Since its last series defeat, in India in March 2001, Australia has played 22 Tests, winning 16, drawing three and losing three, but each loss came in series it had already won.

This sequence includes the crushing 5-1 winning margin in the home and away series against South Africa in 2001-02, a 5-0 win over the West Indies two years ago and a 3-0 win over Pakistan late last year.

While the official ICC Test Championship rankings only award points for series wins, The Cricketer's monthly table takes into account the current ratings of the two teams, the result, the margin of victory, the scores and the venue.

Beating a better rated opponent improves a team's rating more than victory over a lower-rated team.

England's victory in the fifth Test in Sydney, Australia's first Test loss at home in four years, moved Nasser Hussain's team up to third place in The Cricketer Ratings, compared to its fifth on the ICC table.

Australia is on top on 80 points out of a possible 100 and South Africa is second on 66 while a tight bunch battles for third.

England is on 52 points, with New Zealand on 49, Pakistan 48, Sri Lanka 46 and India 44 while the West Indies have 32, Zimbabwe 13 and lowly Bangladesh four.

South Africa took Australia's place at the top of the ICC table this week after its series win over Pakistan.

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