Vote for April’s Player of the Month

Hampshire’s Liam Dawson leads the nominees for April’s PCA Player of the Month and is joined by Somerset pair Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton and Derbyshire’s Billy Godleman with voting now open.

The four topped the PCA Most Valuable Player Rankings after the first month of the domestic season and the winner will now be decided by supporters through a poll on the PCA and Sky Sports websites. Voting is now open and will close at 7pm on Thursday May 2.

The MVP formula was designed by the players to identify the match-winners and key influencers of matches throughout the domestic and international season.

The innovation provides a more rigorous analysis of player performances than traditional batting and bowling averages. For example, runs gain more points if they are scored quickly or in low-scoring contests and 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 County MVP Rankings at the end of the season receives a £10,000 reward.

With the MVP creating the shortlist for the PCA Player of the Month, it is up to supporters to vote for the eventual winner and here are the contenders:

The Hampshire all-rounder topped the MVP charts for April after a stellar month with bat and ball. Taking home 160 MVP points, Dawson climbed to the top of the standings on the final day of April by smashing 108 off just 93 balls and taking two wickets for just 39 runs from his 10 overs to beat Surrey and claim the MVP of the match.

With one hundred and four half centuries, the 29-year-old scored 445 runs while taking 16 wickets across all formats to put him 18 points clear in the Overall MVP at the end of the opening month of the season.

The Somerset man led the MVP for the entire month until the final day of April when he was gazumped by Dawson who has played one more game than Gregory. The all-rounder started the season with eight wickets against Kent at a remarkable average of 5.5 runs which turned out to be the County Championship MVP Performance of the Month with 48.53 points.

He has gone on to win a further three MVP of the matches to take Somerset to top of the Specsavers County Championship and second in the Royal London One-Day Cup South Group. With two five-wicket hauls in his 18 wickets and four fifties contributing to 236 runs, he has an impressive 142 MVP points.

Overton has shown his international class in the opening month of the season with bat and ball across both formats for Somerset. Almost a year since his last Three Lions appearance, he is knocking on the door for a recall after hitting the ground running in 2019.

Highlighted by a sensational 264 run victory over Kent, the 25-year-old had the 50-over game of his life by walloping 66 off just 36 balls before taking five for 18 with the ball to earn him the MVP of the match with 40 points. Overton claimed 18 wickets, 194 runs and 129 MVP points in April to set the platform for Somerset to challenge for honours in 2019.

The Derbyshire skipper made three consecutive centuries in April to propel his side into contention for a semi-final spot in the One-Day Cup. The 30-year-old has been the star man in white-ball cricket in 2019 and currently sits top of the One-Day Cup MVP after a phenomenal start to the campaign.

Although yet to get into full swing in the Championship, Godleman currently tops the scoring charts in 50-over cricket and has been a lynchpin for his side. Tons against Notts Outlaws, Leicestershire and Yorkshire have gone a long way to securing him 530 runs and 122 MVP points for April.