Bamber and Wellington claim POTM awards

Warwickshire and Hampshire pair Ethan Bamber and Amanda-Jade Wellington have won the final PCA Player of the Month awards of 2026.

The duo were shortlisted for the awards using the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings, powered by OFX. The unique algorithm selected the top four men’s and women’s players before they faced a public vote, with the winners decided by a 50:50 split in the two.

Bamber picked up the Player of the Month award with a staggering 63 per cent of the public vote. Toyota PCA Men’s Player of the Year winner Craig Overton finished second with Yorkshire’s George Hill third and Middlesex all-rounder Ryan Higgins in fourth.

In the women’s game, having accumulated the most MVP points and the highest percentage of the public vote, Wellington claimed the accolade ahead of teammate Georgia Adams in second, Essex’s Grace Scrivens in third and Surrey’s Suné Luus in fourth.

The Warwickshire bowler enjoyed a phenomenal end to the season, taking 24 wickets in the Rothesay County Championship in September at an incredible average of 10.16, which included three five-wicket hauls. He also finished as the leading wicket-taker in the red-ball competition with 69 dismissals and found a place in the IG PCA Men’s Team of the Year.

The 27-year-old helped Warwickshire win the County Championship and secured two Match MVP awards during the month, taking career best figures against Essex of 6-26, adding 34.07 points to his MVP tally. Bamber also took match figures of 9-94 against Leicestershire in the final game of the season, claiming the final wicket to secure the title in a victory by an innings and 79 runs.

On winning Player of the Month, Bamber said: “It’s a great honour to win Player of the Month, but managing to get four wins in September that was a huge team effort.

“Any award where people vote and it’s people’s opinion that you respect that means even more to players.

“In a sport like cricket, sometimes you get in that groove when things happen when you want them to. It was nice to finish the season in pursuit of something really special by winning the County Championship.

“It was surreal to finish as the leading wicket-taker in the Championship, it’s a nice thing to reflect on. The 6-26 was satisfying because previously I’ve struggled at Essex.

“The Leicestershire game was extraordinary because it’s a huge privilege to be in those positions and to be granted that moment. So rarely in this game do things come together so perfectly but it did in that final game at home with so many special people there. You don’t normally get scripts like that and I feel very grateful to have been in that position to take the winning wicket, it’s a memory I will always cherish.”

Ending the season in fine fashion, a strong month from Wellington saw the Australian take 17 wickets at an extraordinary average of 9.47 from her five matches and finished the season as the leading wicket-taker in the Metro Bank One Day Cup with 40 dismissals. She also secured a place in the Metro Bank PCA Women’s Team of the Year.

The 29-year-old took two five-wicket hauls in September, completing fantastic figures of 10 overs 5-25 against Yorkshire, helping her side to a seven wicket-win. In the One Day Cup Eliminator she picked up 5-19 to help bowl Surrey out for 109 in a dominant 194-run victory for Hampshire.

On winning the award, Wellington said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to win this award. It’s been incredible to be part of the Hampshire side this season, one I will remember for a long time.

“Personally, it’s been a brilliant season. I feel like I’ve been in the best headspace to perform for Hampshire, and to back that up with two five-wicket hauls has been awesome to be able to do that for Hampshire and get us into the final.”

Find out more about the PCA MVP Rankings and view the men’s and women’s tables.

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