Most Valuable Player Ranking System Revamped – 16/04/13 Sussex star sets pace as county cricketers compete for £ 10,000 in race for the FTI MVP The FTI MVP Ranking system has been overhauled and now features a £ 10,000 reward for the County cricketer who scoops the top prize, the PCA has revealed. The system, which got under way again last week, analyses the performances of players around the country on a like-for-like basis. Following the completion of the first round of LV= County Championship matches, the competition’s early leader is Steve Magoffin, whose combined haul of 7 for 69 consigned Yorkshire to a comprehensive defeat and propelled his Sussex side to the top of the table. Teammate, Chris Jordan, sits just two points behind in third, whilst Middlesex’s Toby Roland-Jones and Neil Dexter are second and fourth respectively following their contributions to Middlesex’s equally impressive win at Trent Bridge. FTI MVP points are earned for every run scored, wicket taken and catch held. Bowlers receive higher marks for good economy rates, bowling maidens and for dismissing the top order, whilst batsmen are rewarded for high run rates and the percentage of the team’s runs they hit. Among the changes this year, there will be more points across all formats for those notching 40 and 50 percent of a team’s total, for top order batsmen in recognition of their greater challenge against the new ball and for those who hit big hundreds. It will also be harder to receive a strike rate bonus in YB40 cricket, reflecting an overall increase in scoring rates for this format. Dot balls in FL20 cricket will also become more valuable, but the most exciting change of all is a four-fold increase in the prize fund for the player who out-performs his contemporaries over the course of the 2013 season. PCA Assistant Chief Executive, Jason Ratcliffe, said, ” We are now entering the seventh season of the FTI MVPs, and after increased player consultation we’ve made some subtle improvements. ” These enhancements to the formula will mean that the ranking system will be an even more accurate judge of the best performances in both county cricket and the England set-up. ” I’m confident that alongside the honour of beating their contemporaries, the fantastic new prize of £ 10,000 will prove a real carrot around the 18 Counties.” The exciting changes follow the renewal of the sponsorship of the awards for the next two years by global business advisory firm, FTI Consulting. John Waples, UK Head of Strategic Communications, FTI Consulting, said, ” We are pleased to continue our support of English cricket through the renewal of the FTI MVP sponsorship. ” The formula changes make the FTI MVPs even more relevant to players and coaches, and will be a terrific tool in the analysis of performance at the professional level.” For the first time this Summer, supporters will be able to interact with the FTI MVP Awards via a monthly competition run by FTI Consulting, asking them to predict who will be England’s most valuable player. The lucky winners will get their hands on great prizes including Ashes tickets and signed England memorabilia. Full competition details and terms and conditions can be found at www.fticonsulting.com/FTIMVP. As well as the extensive coverage on the PCA website, fans will also be able to get closer to the action than ever before via the FTI MVP Twitter feed – @FTI_MVP_Cricket – powered by Opta. Opta CEO, Aidan Cooney, said, “When we started working with the PCA last season, we wanted to innovate and bring some of the concepts we have seen used successfully in other sports to the game of cricket. ” Our work in social media, with our own popular @OptaJim acccount, has provided fans with snapshots of information to ignite debate. ” We are looking forward to the FTI MVP Twitter account. Fans will get insights into performance as things happen in real time and milestones can be celebrated as they occur.” Peter Trego was crowned FTI MVP in 2012 following an outstanding season with both the bat and the ball. His triumph completed a hat-trick of wins for Somerset after earlier victories for his County captain, Marcus Trescothick. Overall FTI MVP 2013 Player County Batting Bowling Fielding Capt. Wins Pld Pts Average Steven Magoffin Sussex 1.41 36.43 0 0 1.0 1 39 38.84 Toby Roland-Jones Middx 0.00 36.72 0 0 1.0 1 38 37.72 Chris Jordan Sussex 0.00 32.12 4 0 1.0 1 37 37.12 Neil Dexter Middx 0.90 31.80 1 0 1.0 1 35 34.70 Graham Onions Durham 2.66 30.83 0 0 1.0 1 34 34.49 Chris Rushworth Durham 3.35 29.57 0 0 1.0 1 34 33.92 Craig Kieswetter Somerset 20.49 0.00 13 0 0.0 1 33 33.49 Peter Trego Somerset 1.85 29.67 1 0 0.0 1 33 32.52 Tom Westley Essex 27.98 -0.10 0 0 0.0 1 28 27.88 Alfonso Thomas Somerset 1.73 25.13 0 0 0.0 1 27 26.86 For more information on the FTI MVP ranking system, please visit www.thepca.co.uk. For more infomation on this release, contact Robin Hutchison at Square in the Air on 07968 124 132 or email robin@squareintheair.com. Alternatively, you can contact Jason Ratcliffe at the PCA on 07768 558 050 or email jratcliffe@thepca.co.uk or Senior Vice President, FTI Consulting, Kieron Smith on 07974 740 379 or email Kieron.Smith@FTIConsulting.com. About FTI Consulting FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organisations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,915 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The Company generated $1.58 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2012. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
