NEW LEASE OF LIFE FOR SHAHZAD Early days it might be but Ajmal Shahzad’s winter move to Sussex looks to have been an inspired one. Shahzad is top of the county MVP Rankings having scored 143 runs and taken 12 wickets from matches against Hampshire and Worcestershire. The fast bowler’s previous highest position in the LV=CC MVP Rankings was 41st back in 2009 and he’s finished outside the top 100 in three of the last four years. Sussex pride themselves on rehabilitating unfulfilled talents – just ask Chris Jordan – and Shahzad could be the latest to benefit from their special diet of tlc. At Hove this week he returned only the fourth five-fer of his career (a career-best 5-46) as he tore through Worcestershire having produced figures of 3-54 and 3-63 at the Ageas Bowl a week earlier. He’s also chipped in with valuable runs: 35, 28, 45not out and 35. Shahzad has played 11 one-day internationals and three T20 matches for England either side of his Test appearance against Bangladesh in 2010. While it might be a touch premature to talk of a return to England colours, a good showing in the MVP Rankings would do him no harm. Just look at Jordan, whose final year at Surrey saw him finish 290th overall and 205th in the LV=CC MVP but then leap to 15th overall and 3rd in the LV=CC after his first year at Sussex, which prompted his England selection. Jack Brooks is another fast bowler with international aspirations. Yorkshire’s headband warrior is county cricket’s leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps after adding four Nottinghamshire wickets to his nine-wicket haul at New Road against Worcestershire. Brooks finished 7th last year in the LV=CC MVP with 68 wickets and 96th in 2013 with 34 having moved from Northants at the end of 2012. Alex Hales leads the way with the bat. The Nottinghamshire and England opener, who endured a frustrating World Cup, was run out for 0 in his first innings of the season at Lord’s but bounced back in style at Trent Bridge to post a career best 236 off 282 balls at a strike rate of 84 runs per 100 balls. Hales earned bonus points for his strike rate and his percentage of Nottinghamshire’s total (55.14%). Last year Hales scored 1032 LV=CC runs at 71 runs per 100 balls including three hundreds and five fifties to finish 48th in the LV=CC MVP. His highest placing was in 2011 when he racked up 1023 runs including three hundreds and seven fifties. Gareth Andrew and James Tomlinson complete the top five. Andrew, the Worcestershire all-rounder, followed his impressive opening week salvo of 59 and 5-85 against Yorkshire with 70 and 3-73 at Hove to move to 53 points fractionally ahead of Tomlinson. The Hampshire left-arm swinger took 3-53 and 2-56 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston to take his tally to 11 for the season. Tomlinson took 68 wickets in 2008 including four five-fers and a best of 8-46 against Somerset to finish fourth in the LV=CC MVP. OVERALL MVP PLAYER COUNTY BAT BOWL FIELD CAPT WINS PLAYED POINTS AV PTS Shahzad Sussex 19.31 53.43 0 0 2 2 75 37.37 Brooks Yorks 4.06 58.77 1 0 1 2 65 32.41 Hales Notts 55.69 0 0 0 0 2 56 27.85 Andrew Worcs 23.88 29.59 0 0 0 2 53 26.74 Tomlinson Hants 2.63 50.36 0 0 0 2 53 26.50 For more information on the MVP ranking system please visit www.thepca.co.uk. For more info on this release contact Dave Fulton on 07742106991, dfulton@thepca.co.uk or Jason Ratcliffe at the PCA on 07768 558 050 or jratcliffe@thepca.co.uk The Formula The MVP is a cumulative points system that rewards players for every run scored, wicket taken and catch held – and, how well they do it. A player achieves bonus points based in certain criteria. An overview of the formula is set out below: Batting + Bowling + Fielding + Captaincy + Winning = Total MVP points Batting: The basis of the batting points take into account runs scored, the rate scored at, and the percentage of the team’s total. Batting bonus points are achieved for reaching a century, achieving a benchmark run-rate (varies per tournament, i.e. 1.5 runs per ball in the Twenty20), and scoring over 30% of a team’s runs Bowling: The basis for the bowling points take into account the number of wickets and economy rates. Bowlers achieve higher points for getting out higher order batsmen Bowling bonus points are achieved for achieving a benchmark economy rate (varies per tournament, i.e. fewer than 6 runs per over in Twenty20), taking 5 or more wickets in an innings, and bowling maidens. Fielding: Points are accumulated for catches, run outs – direct hits, run outs – assists, stumpings, with bonuses for 5 fielding dismissals in an innings. Captaincy: A captain of a winning side will receive one bonus point Winning teams: All members of a winning team receive one bonus point {{ak_sharing}}
