Cross and Taylor win final monthly awards

Kate Cross and Tom Taylor have been voted as the PCA Players of the Month for September after winning their respective Metro Bank One Day Cups.

Both players were shortlisted for the awards through 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 between the two.

Cross ended September with a combination of 58.71 MVP points and 55.83 per cent of the public vote to win the final Player of the Month award for the 2025 season. The 34-year-old finished ahead of Hampshire captain Georgia Adams. Meanwhile, Kathryn Bryce, who won the PCA Women’s Domestic Overall MVP, and the Metro Bank One Day Cup Women’s Player of the Year came home in third place ahead of Cross’ Lancashire teammate Gaby Lewis.

In the men’s game, Worcestershire seamer Tom Taylor prevailed after collecting 91.38 MVP points and 60.90 per cent of the public total vote. The 30-year-old finished ahead of Northamptonshire all-rounder Saif Zaib who scored 1,425 runs in the Rothesay County Championship to end the season as the leading run-scorer. Hampshire’s batting duo of Toby Albert and Chris Lynn came home in third and fourth positions respectively after starring in the latter stages of the Vitality Blast.

Cross ended the 2025 season on a high. After winning The Hundred with Northern Superchargers in August, the right-arm bowler lifted more silverware in September as Lancashire won the inaugural Women’s Metro Bank One Day Cup, beating Hampshire in the final.

The 34-year-old picked up six wickets in the month along with seven catches to secure 58.71 MVP points.

Her most important contribution for Lancashire in September came against The Blaze in the semi-finals of the One Day Cup. Cross took 3-47 in the game at Trent Bridge, including bowling two maiden overs to see her side secure a narrow five-run victory.

Despite her excellent efforts with the ball, the Lancashire bowler won a Match MVP primarily thanks to her contributions with the bat. The right-hander secured 24.03 points after scoring 51 from 58 balls alongside taking one wicket and two catches against Somerset.

After winning the final monthly award for 2025, Kate Cross said, “It is always really nice to win the PCA Player of the Month especially knowing that you have been voted by your peers. They are special because your teammates and sometimes even the opposition recognise the month you have had.

“From a team point of view, there were four Lancashire players in the PCA Women’s Team of the Month which was also great to see because we had a great finish to the season.

“The semi-final was personally my best game of the month or maybe even the best of the summer. I have been relatively consistent in picking up the odd wicket but to get two in one over felt like a momentum shift. It was also a very close finish at Trent Bridge so a great game to be a part of.

“I am not known for my batting so whenever I score a 50, it is always nice news. But I have actually worked really hard on my batting this summer. I have had a lot of time in the nets, and I want to be that player who can bat at number seven or eight and help the team get out of trouble if needs be. We did come short against Somerset, but it was still great to contribute. Hopefully, that stands me in good stead for next summer with what I can offer with bat and ball.”

Taylor contributed 16 wickets and 132 runs in September to register 91.38 MVP points. The 30-year-old took a total of 58 wickets in the Rothesay County Championship to end as the leading wicket-taker in the red-ball competition.

He also formed part of the Worcestershire team which won the Metro Bank One Day Cup, their first List A trophy since 2007.

Taylor picked up one Match MVP last month, coming against eventual champions Nottinghamshire where he secured 35.22 points. The leading bowler took 4-70 in the first innings and 2-45 in the second to add to his score of 40 with the bat.

The seamer also had a stellar performance with the ball in the final County Championship game of the season against Sussex, ending with match figures of 8-128. After taking four wickets in the first innings, Taylor took 4-22 in the second innings to almost secure an unexpected win for Worcestershire who were defending a mere 61. In the end, Sussex won by a narrow margin of three wickets.

At the end of a special September, Tom Taylor said, “I am really proud of my season and to finish as the leading wicket-taker in the County Championship. It was a great season for me personally. Just a bit of a shame to end it with Worcestershire going down but winning the One Day Cup was an amazing feeling.

“I am really proud to finish with the most wickets. It is not something I personally set out to achieve. It was more of me trying to contribute to winning a trophy. So, I am glad that I have been able to do them both this summer. For next year, the aim will definitely be to take as many wickets as I possibly can and lead the Worcestershire attack back to Division One.

“It was wonderful to be part of the One Day Cup win. It felt like all the stars aligned for it to happen. From wearing the JB33 Foundation on the shirt to dedicating the cup to Josh (Baker) and even seeing his best friend Henry Cullen hitting the winning runs. It was an amazing moment for the club, the Baker family and also for the fans.

“Winning Player of the Month is a nice feeling and makes me very proud that people have followed along and supported me and Worcestershire. It has been a topsy-turvy year but to win the public vote and to perform well for the team throughout September was great. Hopefully more of that will follow next season.”

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

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