PCA PRESS RELEASE
Final day dramatics from England and vice-captain Stokes clinch one of the great Test victories
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Ben Stokes’ dramatic final day heroics puts him top of the PCA Most Valuable Player Test Rankings after inspired bowling saw the England all-rounder take the final three wickets for one run.
The 2019 NatWest PCA Players’ Player of the Year put in a remarkable individual display to narrowly overtake captain Joe Root at the top of the PCA MVP Rankings with 87.10 MVP Points.
Stokes hit 47 in the first innings, a blistering 72 in the second innings and took six catches in addition to his three final session wickets to give England their first victory at Newlands in 63 years.
Skipper Root started the South Africa series top of the PCA Most Valuable Player Test Rankings after his double hundred in New Zealand placed him above the chasing pack.
Scoring 173 runs across four innings, Root continues to impress and is less than 1 MVP point behind top spot in the MVP Rankings.
Versatile all-rounder Sam Curran sits third in the Test MVP Rankings and top in the Overall MVP Rankings after continuing to impress throughout the series taking eight wickets.
The Test MVP was designed by the PCA in conjunction with the players to identify the match-winning performers in any given fixture. On top of traditional batting and bowling averages, bonus points are awarded for scoring a high proportion of your team’s runs, claiming top-order wickets and taking catches in the field, amongst other important disciplines.
The algorithm was reset for the winter series of New Zealand and South Africa and will continue to keep track of England’s best Test performers for the final two Test Matches against South Africa and two in Sri Lanka during March of next year, with the Test MVP for 2019/20 officially named in April.
Stuart Broad sits highest in the MVP Rankings for bowlers with his consistent wicket-taking and high-level performances placing him fourth in the MVP Rankings. Broad has taken key wickets across the series and has amassed eight wickets in the two Test matches.
Opening batsman Dom Sibley recorded England’s first century of the series with his maiden ton proving vital in his side’s victory.
Sibley’s innings provided the platform for England victory as he moved up to sixth place in the Test MVP Rankings, one position behind Rory Burns.
Burns had performed admirably during the first Test battling to 84 before a collapse saw England slump to defeat. An innocuous football related injury before the start of the second Test, however, has ruled the opening batsman out of the series with an ankle injury.
After defeat in the first Test at Centurion, England will be delighted to level series at the earliest opportunity. A 107-run defeat in Pretoria was largely down to a disappointing first innings with the bat.
England’s low score made any positive result difficult to achieve and despite five wickets from Jofra Archer and a resilient batting display during the second innings, the task proved too difficult.
Joe Root’s side now head to Port Elizabeth for the third Test where they will be hoping this thrilling second Test victory can inspire them for the rest of the series.
View the England MVP Rankings here.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest MVP news by following the @pcaMVP on Twitter.
