Clarke blasts way to sixth in PCA MVP all-time list Worcestershire batsman Joe Clarke blasted his way into the top six of the all-time single innings performances in T20 cricket in the Professional Cricketers’ Most Valuable Player Rankings after he battered 124 from just 53 balls against Durham at New Road. Clarke’s spectacular innings included a century from 45 balls –the joint fastest in county cricket this summer – and comprised 61 per cent of Worcestershire’s total of 204 for two, which took them to an eight wickets win in the NatWest T20 Blast. It gave Clarke 41.48 batting points and took him to sixth in the all-time best single innings performances since the PCA MVP Rankings were introduced in 2007. Clarke’s innings was also the best single innings performance by a Worcestershire player in T20 cricket, beating the 41.34 points by Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who is now with Yorkshire, earned against Durham at New Road last year. Clarke’s spectacular innings also overshadowed a landmark for Durham’s former England T20 captain Paul Collingwood who became the oldest man to score a T20 century at the age of 41. Collingwood’s century came in his 132nd T20 match and gave him 39 PCA MVP points, enough to take him to 25th on the all-time list of best single innings PCA MVP scores in the format and also Durham’s best individual T20 performance. The PCA MVP Rankings system identifies the match-winners and key influencers of matches throughout the domestic season. The formula takes into account conditions, quality of opposition, captaincy and strike-rates as well as runs scored and wickets taken. Nottinghamshire’s England opener Alex Hales matched Clarke’s 45-ball century to set up victory over Yorkshire at Trent Bridge which gave him 35 PCA MVP points. Hales and Clarke are now joint leaders in the race for the Walter Lawrence Trophy for the fastest century of the season in domestic competitions. Hales followed up his century against Yorkshire with 51 from 27 balls in last night’s rain-ruined contest at Leicester and has now reached 30 in all but two of his eight innings in the Blast this season. He also became the seventh player this season to reach 100 T20 rankings points during his innings against Leicestershire and he has now moved into sixth place in the PCA MVP for the Blast on 107 points, 42 behind Derbyshire’s Wayne Madsen, the competition’s leader. Riki Wessels, Hales’ opening partner, is just two places further back on 98 points, including 17 points for his 37-ball 63 at Leicester which made up 30 per cent of Nottinghamshire’s runs. After a month of T20 cricket, the Specsavers County Championship returns on Sunday for a round which features eight matches. Hampshire’s former South Africa fast bowler Kyle Abbott will be aiming to increase his lead at the top of the championship PCA MVP against Lancashire at the Ageas Bowl. Abbott has amassed 255 rankings points in four-day cricket this season, 19 more than all-rounder Darren Stevens whose Kent side will sit out this round of matches. Surrey’s former Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara still leads the overall PCA MVP Rankings, which carries a prize of £ 10,000, on 382 across all formats with Glamorgan’s former South Africa all-rounder Colin Ingram second with 355 points and Nottinghamshire all-rounder Samit Patel just two points adrift in third place. To see the full MVP table click here.
