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Sussex and Warwickshire players win the first Player of the Month accolades of 2025.
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Tom Haines and Emily Arlott have won April’s PCA Players of the Month awards following an excellent start to the new domestic season.
The duo were shortlisted for the first version of 2025’s Player of the Month 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.
In the men’s result, Haines came out on top and secured 39% of the poll. The left-handed opener was closely followed by Nottinghamshire’s overseas bowler Fergus O’Neill who secured 31% of the vote. Surrey’s Dom Sibley and O’Neill’s captain Haseeb Hameed finished third and fourth respectively.
In the women’s category, Arlott claimed the women’s award holding 38% of the total public vote, ahead of Durham’s Phoebe Turner who was close second with 32% of the vote having moved up from fourth in the MVP Rankings. Lancashire batter Emma Lamb was third with the current PCA Women’s Player of the Year Kathryn Bryce coming home in fourth place.
Tom Haines claims April’s Player of the Month
Haines has been Sussex’s key performer with the bat so far this season, having scored 513 runs from four Rothesay County Championship games. Averaging 73.28, the 26-year-old is currently the leading run-scorer in Division One and has also got the most MVP points with 122.21.
Having picked up the most MVP points in April, the Sussex batter also captained the PCA’s Team of the Month which also featured his club captain John Simpson.
The left-handed opener has scored two centuries in the County Championship so far. His first came against Somerset where he scored 141 in the second innings, helping Sussex secure a 260-run victory at the 1st Central County Ground, Hove.
Haines’ second century was scored at the same venue against defending champions Surrey. He scored 174 in the first innings and an unbeaten 69 in the second to claim the Match MVP, picking up 67.66 points. The game, however, ended in a draw.
After winning the April Player of the Month award, Haines said: “It feels good to win the PCA’s Player of the Month for April. It has been a great start to the season which makes me incredibly happy.
“I would say that the hundred against Somerset was more important because we won the game, whilst the Surrey match ended in a draw. But I am pleased with both of the hundreds and hopefully I can perform like that in the next few games.
“We want to put as many wins as we can on the board in this first block of seven games and see where we are. Keeping our bowlers fit would be a big aim for the team because we have not got the depth as some of the bigger teams in Division One. We can definitely be up there and challenging if we keep everyone fit because we have got a very good team.
“It’s a real positive to know I secured the public votes from the fans and hopefully I can keep putting some more big scores on the board.”
Arlott wins maiden Tier 1 POTM prize
Arlott’s all-round prowess saw her win April’s Player of the Month award, becoming the first player to take the honour since the introduction of the new Tier 1 system in the women’s game.
The 27-year-old scored 134 runs in April to go along with five wickets from three games in the Metro Bank One Day Cup which saw her get 61.58 MVP points.
Similar to Haines, Arlott also captained the women’s PCA Team of the Month in April.
The Warwickshire all-rounder scored her maiden professional century in List A cricket against Essex in the second game of the new campaign. With her side struggling at 22-5, Arlott scored 130 from just 141 balls to take them to a respectable total which eventually led the Bears to 108-run victory at Chelmsford.
She won the Match MVP for her efforts with the bat, claiming 43.15 points.
Showing her all-round capabilities, Arlott had a great outing with the ball in her next game against The Blaze taking 3-39, which included an all-important wicket of captain Tammy Beaumont.
Following her excellent start to the season with Warwickshire, Arlott said: “It’s a great recognition for the last few games. I was surprised when I was in the mix for the award, but the main thing is to try and win games for Warwickshire, so this is a nice bonus.
“We had some really good games and been playing some really good cricket. I think we’re heading in the right direction.
“People have always treated me like a bowler that can hit a big ball. I spent the winter in Perth and full credit to them, they were a big part of improving my whole game and really stamping my authority on an all-rounder role.
“I thought I would be shaking in boots at the thought of reaching a century, but I was actually really calm and didn’t even realise I was nearing a hundred until I was on about 96 or 98 so the blissful ignorance probably helped.
“I lost a bit of speed a couple of years ago after an injury, but I feel like I have got that back this winter which is nice. So hopefully I keep the consistency and take wickets for the team in situations when required.
“It is a case of not getting too far ahead of yourself. I believe accolades like the PCA’s Overall MVP honour will come naturally if you do the small things well.
Find out more about the PCA MVP Rankings and view the men’s and women’s tables.
Save time and money with OFX, the PCA’s Official FX partner, offering members bank-beating rates and an easier way to send money home.
