The race for the £10,000 prize and the PCA’s overall county Most Valuable Player is underway with the early leaderboard dominated by seam bowlers – including Nottinghamshire’s Harry Gurney.
The left-armer, along with Jake Ball, starred for Nottinghamshire in a six-wicket Specsavers County Championship Division One win over Lancashire, taking eight wickets to win the battle for the MVP Man of the Match, scoring 42.47 points and entering the rankings in second spot.
He is just behind Middlesex’s James Harris, who has taken an early lead after his Man of the Match display in his side’s 160-run victory against Northamptonshire at Lord’s.
Harris claimed match figures of 9-48 as well as racking up an unbeaten 46 in Middlesex’s first innings to fire him to 50.72 points and ensure life in Specsavers County Championship Division Two started very brightly for the hosts.
Fidel Edwards and Kyle Abbott of Hampshire took seven wickets apiece in their victory against newly-promoted Worcestershire in Division One. The pair dominated the opener at the Ageas Bowl with South African Abbott scoring 41.88 points.
Despite the 196-run defeat, captain Joe Leach was a shining light for the Pears, taking seven wickets to end the fixture as their top-placed player in 12th position in the overall MVP.
Gloucestershire debutant Ryan Higgins took 5-22 in the second innings to help his side to a five-wicket victory against Kent at Canterbury.
The bowler took the prize wicket of Daniel Bell-Drummond for 61 and Joe Denly for a duck in the Spitfires second innings to ensure got off to a winning start.
South African David Wiese scored the first century of the 2018 Specsavers County Championship campaign in Sussex’s opening clash against Warwickshire. With 150 overs lost in the rain-affected match, an inevitable draw was recorded, but it was Weise who unsurprisingly came away as the MVP Man of the Match scoring an impressive 40.70 points.
The MVP formula was designed by the players to identify the match-winners and key influencers of matches throughout the domestic and international season and gives full credit to those players whose performances improve their team’s chances of winning.
Points are accrued for all runs scored and wickets taken, these are then adjusted within the context of the match to take into account strike rates and economy rates.
Runs gain more points if they are scored quickly or in low-scoring contests. Top order wickets are judged more valuable than those that fall later. Catches, run-outs and stumpings are also accounted for, as well as bonus points for captains and players who are on the victorious side.
The player who tops the overall PCA County MVP Rankings at the end of the season receives a £10,000 reward. The individuals who finish top of the individual domestic competitions will be awarded the competition’s Player of the Year.
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