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Anderson and Buttler end the international summer as England's Most Valuable Players.
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England ended a hugely successful summer with a 4-1 Test victory over India with Jos Buttler confirming his place as England’s Most Valuable Player for the summer
In the five-month international season he has consistently been at the top of his game across all formats and stormed to 272 points to top the Overall Rankings.
The wicketkeeper-batsman has become the man for any occasion, he topped the ODI and IT20 Rankings, and finished sixth in the Test table. Buttler has scored just short of 1,000 runs across all competitions, including a maiden Test hundred, with many of the knocks coming when the team needed him most.
However, he has almost taken a backseat – as he so often does when it comes to the limelight – with others stealing the recent headlines, most notably James Anderson.
The legendary seam bowler cemented his legacy at the Kia Oval by becoming the leading all-time wicket-taker for seamers in Test history when he moved past Glenn McGrath’s total of 563 wickets.
It capped another fine summer for the 36-year-old, finishing top of the Test Rankings with 148 points and 33 wickets to his name. Anderson continues to show why he is the most dangerous bowler the Three Lions have ever had in English conditions, and looks set to extend his lead as the fourth highest wicket-taker for years to come.
From England’s oldest player, to one of the youngest, this summer will also be remembered for the emergence of Sam Curran. It was expected he would represent England at some point in his career, but when the call came he looked like he had been ready for this opportunity all his life.
The Specsavers Man of the Series against India, Curran finished third in the Test Rankings, playing five games across the summer and averaging 22.34 points per game – more than anyone who has played the same amount of red-ball cricket since May.
With 272 runs and 11 wickets against India, his technique with the bat has already had people call for him to be moved higher up the order, whilst his left-arm swing bowling has made it apparent he will be racking up England MVP points for years to come.
The summer will also be remembered for the departure of an England great, Alastair Cook. A fairy-tale finish at the Kia Oval saw him score 71 followed by a magnificent 147 and soak in the adulation of the fans, a standing ovation which lasted for two-minutes rang around the ground when he reached his century for the 33rd and last time in his career.
The PCA MVP for the last Test of the summer saw him move up to fifth in the Test Rankings to demonstrate the hole he will leave at the top of the order.
Ultimately, the records will have it down as Jos Buttler who led the way for the country this year. He has the unique ability to be unfussy yet spectacular all within one movement, a quiet poise about him that grows with every ball and every game. 27 players have represented England this summer, Buttler has been the best of the lot.
To view the England MVP Rankings, click here.
