This second instalment of our regular updates covers the six Test matches that were played during May, starting with what turned out to be a one-off game between Pakistan and New Zealand at Lahore, and ending with England's thumping victory over Sri Lanka at Edgbaston. The innings of the month was certainly Inzamam-ul-Haq's high-quality triple-century in that match at Lahore. His powerful 329, made from only 436 balls, amassed 227.50 points from the Wisden 100 computer, and crashed into the Top 100 in 11th position, the highest new entry since the Wisden 100 was launched last year.

Inzamam's innings just failed to make it to the top ten. Currently the tenth spot is occupied by Brian Lara's Test-record 375, which secured 228.10 points. If Inzamam had managed just three more runs, he would have displaced Lara. But Lara's 46 additional runs, and the much higher quality of the English attack (Fraser, Caddick, Tufnell and Lewis against NZ's Tuffey, Martin, Vettori and Walker) more than offset the fact that Pakistan won their match and West Indies didn't.

By any standards, Inzamam's was a great innings, which well deserves its place in the Wisden 100 pantheon. The fortitude with which he played the later part of his innings despite an injury, and the way he nursed the tail - the last four wickets put on 244 - was a revelation. This was a great batsman stamping his authority, and demanding to be considered among the all-time greats.

May was a batsman's month, with 16 Test centuries scored. Apart from Inzamam's great knock, two other centuries deserve a closer look: Shivnarine Chanderpaul's matchwinning 101 not out for West Indies against India at Bridgetown secured 140.6 points, and Graham Thorpe's mature 123 for England at Edgbaston totalled 139.5. Chanderpaul played another valuable innings in the final Test in the Caribbean: his 59 as West Indies clinched the series amassed 91.1 points, more than some of the more forgettable centuries.

It wasn't a great month for the bowlers. The best performance was Shoaib Akhtar's devastating spell of 6 for 11 for Pakistan against New Zealand at Lahore. We hear tales of outstanding bowlers of yore who bowled fast and how they intimidated the batsmen, but it's hard to believe that they could have been any more frightening than Shoaib that day. New Zealand's top four all had their stumps sent flying, and must have felt that nemesis was upon them.

There were four other matchwinning bowling performances of note. Danish Kaneria's 5 for 110 for Pakistan against New Zealand in that same match earned him 155.8 points, while Matthew Hoggard earnt 147.8 for his 5 for 92 in the second innings at Edgbaston. And Merv Dillon had two good spells in West Indies' two victories over India: 5 for 71 at Kingston (142.2 points) and 4 for 82 at Bridgetown (139.6).

Ananth Narayan helps Wisden.com in many areas of cricket analysis, his primary responsibility being all aspects of the ratings, including the Wisden 100.

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