Shortlist unveiled for April’s PCA Player of the Month Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens, Gloucestershire seamer Liam Norwell and Yorkshire pair Gary Ballance and Ben Coad are the shortlisted candidates for the new Professional Cricketers’ Association Player of the Month Award. The four topped the PCA Most Valuable Player Rankings after the first month of the domestic season and the winner will now be decided by supporters through a poll on the Sky Sports app and website while you can also vote below. The PCA MVP Rankings system was introduced in 2007, an innovation which provides a more rigorous analysis of player performances than traditional batting and bowling averages. The formula, designed by the players gives full credit to those players whose performances improve their team’s chances of winning. Points are accrued for all runs scored and wickets taken, these are then adjusted within the context of the match to take into account strike rates and economy rates. The formula also takes into account conditions, quality of opposition, captaincy and strike-rates as well as runs scored and wickets taken with the player who tops the overall PCA MVP Rankings at the end of the season, receiving a £ 10,000 prize and a trophy. Stevens has been one of the most consistent performers in county cricket since the rankings were introduced and in a week in which he celebrated his 41st birthday, Stevens overtook Middlesex seamer Tim Murtagh to become the all-time leader in the PCA MVP Rankings for the Specsavers County Championship. He also replaced Coad as leader of this season’s MVP with key contributions to Kent’s wins over Gloucestershire, Sussex and Derbyshire in Division Two of the Championship. Stevens has scored a half century and taken five wickets in an innings in each of those matches and was also in form in Kent’s Royal London One-Day Cup opener against Hampshire at Canterbury last Thursday with another half century. Norwell has also been in outstanding form with the ball this season with four five-wicket hauls in the second tier of the Championship including a career match-best of 10 for 122 to set up victory over Leicestershire. Norwell, 25, finished the month strongly in the 50-over competition with five for 23 to help Gloucestershire beat Middlesex at Lord’s, a performance that netted him 32 MVP points and moved him into second place in the rankings table, 19 points adrift of Stevens. Ballance has taken over as Yorkshire captain this season and the additional responsibilities appear to have helped the form of the left-hander. The England international made three centuries, including a crucial unbeaten double hundred in the draw against Hampshire last week, and two half centuries in Division One of the Championship in April. Ending the opening month with 120 ranking points will do Ballance no harm as the 27-year-old looks to force his way back into the Test side. Coad has waited patiently for his first team chance and, with injuries depriving Yorkshire of frontline seamers in the first two weeks of the season, he made the most of his opportunity. The 23-year-old from Ripon began the season with eight wickets against Hampshire in only the second County Championship Division One match of his career, which included a career-best six for 37. Coad’s achievements were made more impressive by taking the first six wickets in the first innings which is beneficial in the MVP Rankings. Bowlers gain more ranking points if they take wickets of top order batsmen and similarly, runs gain more points if they are scored quickly or in low-scoring contests. He followed up with a maiden 10-wicket match haul against Warwickshire and ended April with 118 MVP points and on the shortlist for the PCA Player of the Month Award. Voting closes at 7pm on Wednesday May 3. To view the full Most Valuable Player Rankings click here.
