Joe Denly remains at the top of the Overall PCA Most Valuable Player Rankings with his golden summer showing no signs of slowing down. He is followed by Leicestershire’s Ben Raine, with Rikki Clarke also moving into the top three.
Denly has been in fine form all season for Kent, scoring big runs on a consistent basis and chipping in with useful wickets as his side challenge across all three formats of the domestic game.
His 454.12 MVP points have provided a platform for Kent to push for County Championship promotion, but it is in the shorter formats where he has been in devastating form. Finishing as the One-Day Cup MVP, he is now leading the Vitality Blast Rankings with 162.86 points to his name.
Raine is doing well to keep up with Denly as he continues to prove his worth with the bat and ball. Primarily a bowler, he has taken his opportunity as a ‘pinch-hitter’ in T20 cricket this season, and has racked up the MVP points as a result of it.
Surrey’s Clarke moves into the top three after another strong showing with bat and ball. The 36-year-old has been a mainstay on the county circuit since 2002 and is getting better with age as he continues to show why he is one of the most respected campaigners on the circuit.
With June’s PCA Player of the Month Heino Kuhn having a slight dip in form, it has allowed another experienced player to close the gap on him, and move into fifth on the Overall Rankings. Ian Bell is a master accumulator of runs, but it is in the Vitality Blast where he is causing most damage.
He has been chipping away at the Blast MVP leaders all season and now finds himself in that top five, overtaking the injured Liam Livingstone in the process. However, the Birmingham Bears do not look likely to qualify for the knock-out stages, meaning Bell will just be left with red-ball cricket.
If Bell has been creeping into the top five, then Aaron Finch is doing his best to blow the door down. The Australian has been in destructive form for Surrey, and has blasted his way to second on the Vitality Blast Rankings. His latest knock of 117* highlighted just how talented he is set to take them team through to the knock-out round.
Although unlikely to challenge for the £10,000 on offer for the overall MVP, he is in a great position to win the Vitality Blast Player of the Year.
Ultimately, Denly is in the strongest position of anyone in the top five as his Kent side are second in the south group of the Blast and playing some really exciting cricket. As long as they progress he will keep scoring runs and pulling away from Ben Raine, with Leicestershire currently second bottom in their Blast group.
Even if Kent played one extra game it could make all the difference…
To view the Overall MVP Rankings click here.
