PCA PRESS RELEASE
Vitality Blast hits quarter-final stage with Denly leading.
To see more articles. Click here
Joe Denly currently leads the Vitality Blast MVP after a string of sublime performances helped Kent through to the quarter-finals where they take on Glen Chapple’s Lancashire Lightning in the opening fixture.
Denly sits on 212 MVP Points, 42 points ahead of the next best left in the competition and will be hopeful of clinching a domestic white-ball double after already securing the Royal London One-Day Cup MVP accolade.
Kent will also be expecting big things from Sam Billings and Marcus Stoinis as they look to secure their passage to the Vitality Blast T20 Finals Day.
Lancashire’s Alex Davies has had a Vitality Blast to remember though and will believe he has a chance of climbing up the MVP Rankings and putting pressure on the current leader.
Davies has scored over 500 runs at a strike-rate of 135 and will be in with a chance if his Lancashire side can knock out Kent and Denly at the Spitfire ground.
Jos Buttler has been made available for the clash and having picked up the England T20 MVP award already this summer, the hard-hitting wicket-keep batsman will also be key to Lancashire’s progression.
Similar to Jos, Worcestershire’s Moeen Ali has also been made available for selection from England and after his MVP man-of-the-match last time out, the all-rounder will be hoping for a late charge towards the summit of the table.
As well as Moeen, youngster Patrick Brown will be integral if Worcestershire Rapids are to progress with the 20-year old is currently the leading-wicket taker in the competition having taken 27 wickets at an average of 13.
Worcestershire topped their North Group and will take on Gloucestershire whose highest ranked player, Michael Klinger sits 25th in the MVP Rankings. With no player featuring higher than Klinger, it demonstrates Gloucestershire’s team effort to get to the quarter-final stages who have shown they can grind out victories even in the tightest of circumstances.
Sussex will have to cope with the absence of the number one T20 bowler in the world, Rashid Khan for their quarter-final as the spinner returns to the Afghanistan set-up for their fixtures against Ireland.
In Khan’s absence Sussex will have pacey seamers Joffra Archer and Chris Jordan spearheading their attack having taken a combined 27 wickets in this seasons Blast
Also dangerous with the bat, the Sharks will be hoping captain Luke Wright can fire them to glory after surpassing 7,000 career T20 runs last time out.
Laurie Evans will also be aiming to make an impact in the latter stages after impressing so far this campaign. Evans is the highest placed Sussex player in the MVP Rankings sitting in 9th position with 135 MVP Points after hitting 491 runs at an average of 70.
Sussex will face Durham who will unfortunately be without their English star, Ben Stokes. Stokes picked up a niggle in England’s Test defeat to India and although the all-rounder has only featured in three Blast fixtures he will be a massive loss.
With Stokes missing out there will be more responsibility on Durham Jets highest ranked MVP Tom Latham. Latham has scored 450 runs in this tournament and will want to ensure he adds more to that tally to take Durham to the semi-final and ass to his existing 134 MVP Points.
The final quarter-final of the weekend involves Denly’s closest competitor left in the competition as Dan Christian’s Notts Outlaws take on South Group winners Somerset.
Christian sits third in the Vitality Blast MVP Rankings on 168 MVP Points, and with Aaron Finch unable to add to his tally in second place with Surrey’s elimination, he could be the one who pips Denly to the top prize.
The all-rounder has hit over 400 runs at an average of 48 and taken 10 wickets so far so could pose a real threat to Somerset as the aim to progress to T20 Finals Day.
Somerset will be banking on Jamie Overton and Max Waller to fire their way through the Notts top order having taken 33 wickets so far between them.
Overton is higher in the Rankings with 105 MVP Points and has been key in dismissing opposing batsman on Somerset’s way to the top of the group.
Lewis Gregory sits inside the top 10 of the Rankings as the highest placed Somerset player with 135 MVP Points.
To view the T20 MVP Rankings click here.
