Ben Coad sets pace in PCA MVP Rankings Yorkshire seamer Ben Coad emerged with credit and as the early pacesetter in this season’s Professional Cricketers’ Association Most Valuable Player Rankings after the first round of matches in the Specsavers County Championship. Although Yorkshire were beaten by Hampshire in a tense encounter at Headingley, Coad made the most of his opportunity in the absence of the injured Ryan Sidebottom, Jack Brooks, David Willey and Liam Plunkett. The 23-year-old took career-best figures of six for 37, including the first six wickets in Hampshire’s first innings, and added two more wickets in the second innings to take 45 PCA MVP points from only his second County Championship match. The PCA MVP Rankings system was introduced in 2007 and was designed by the players to identify the match-winners and key influencers of matches throughout the domestic season. The formula 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. The formula also takes into account conditions, quality of opposition, captaincy and strike-rates as well as runs scored and wickets taken. Before the weekend, Coad had amassed only 49 points in his entire career but his haul against Hampshire put him top of the season’s first PCA MVP Rankings table, one ahead of Surrey’s left-arm paceman Mark Footitt who floored Warwickshire at the Kia Oval. Footitt took six for 14 in Warwickshire’s first innings, including four of the top five, and two more in the second, to finish with a haul of 44 points. Footitt claimed the prized scalps of former England batsmen Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott in both innings. Yorkshire’s new captain Gary Ballance began the season impressively with a century – which made up 44 per cent of their first innings total – and 55 in the second innings to earn 39 PCA MVP Rankings points and sixth place in the table. Lancashire wicketkeeper Alex Davies made his maiden first-class century in the draw against Essex at Chelmsford and also held five catches in the first innings which gave him 43 points. In reply, Dan Lawrence batted seven hours for his unbeaten 141 which denied Lancashire and secured 31 points towards a match haul of 37. Australia seamer James Pattinson began his county career with eight wickets in the match in Nottinghamshire’s crushing victory over Leicestershire at Grace Road. Pattinson took five for 29 in Leicestershire’s second innings and ended his County Championship debut with 38 points and seventh place in the PCA MVP Rankings table. But Gloucestershire seamer Liam Norwell finished the opening round of matches as the highest-placed Second Division player after he took eight wickets in the match – five in the second innings – in the defeat by Kent at Canterbury. Gloucestershire were shot out for 61 in the second innings but Norwell’s 24 made up 39 per cent of their total and gave him five points towards a match haul of 39 and fifth place in the first PCA MVP Rankings table of the season. To see the full MVP table, click here.
