PCA PRESS RELEASE
Northamptonshire Steelbacks all-rounder wins the Vitality Blast Men’s Player of the Year in dominant fashion.
To see more articles, click here
Having starred with bat and ball throughout the tournament, David Willey is the Vitality Blast Men’s Player of the Year.
The 35-year-old ended the competition top of the PCA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Rankings, powered by OFX, with 293.03 points and a long way clear of second-placed Will Jacks.
The Northamptonshire captain scored 452 runs and took 20 wickets, along with 17 catches, to dominate the award and earn himself a bespoke trophy from Mappin & Webb trophy alongside £2,500 in prize money.
Willey was handed the MVP trophy during another exciting Vitality Blast Finals Day that saw Somerset complete a stunning run chase to win their third T20 title and second in three years. They overcame Hampshire with an over to spare, captain Lewis Gregory securing the win with a six, having defeated Lancashire in the first semi-final of the day.
Former England all-rounder Willey secured two Match MVPs during the Vitality Blast, firstly with a blistering 54 off just 24 deliveries – including six sixes – and three wickets in a thrilling 13-run victory over Yorkshire, earning himself 37.28 MVP points. A few days later, he followed it up with a score of 37 and bowling figures of 2-19 against Derbyshire as he recorded 39.77 points.
Over the course of the Blast, Willey also struck 29 sixes, the second highest total in the competition behind newly appointed Derbyshire PCA Rep Aneurin Donald, who hit 31.
The left-arm seamer – part of England’s 2022 T20 World Cup-winning squad – picked up 155.69 MVP points during June thanks to a series of superb performances. His contribution of 182 runs, 10 wickets and 12 catches – all in the Blast – meant he was named captain of the PCA’s Men’s Team of the Month after securing more MVP points than any other player.
Surrey and England all-rounder Jacks, who was the Vitality Blast Men’s Player of the Year in 2020, finished second with 253.43 MVP points. The 26-year-old contributed 504 runs at an average of 50.40.
Opening the batting, Jacks won five Blast Match MVPs. His best performance came against Sussex, where he earned 54.94 points after scoring 100 from just 59 balls, his fifth hundred in the shortest format.
Donald finished in third place with 206.28 MVP points after scoring 449 runs at an astonishing strike-rate of 216.90.
The 28-year-old was in scintillating form at the top of the order for Derbyshire, registering four Match MVPs. He secured two of those in the space of 24 hours in June, hitting 73 off 34 against Nottinghamshire and 60 off 25 against Leicestershire, with the other two coming in a run of three half-centuries in four innings a month later.
The Vitality Blast Men’s Player of the Year was selected by the PCA Most Valuable Player Rankings, powered by OFX, the PCA’s Official FX Partner. The formula takes into account expected performance on every ball according to CricViz’s extensive database. The algorithm also considers the historic performances of the venue each fixture is being played at, therefore giving a more accurate reflection of the top performers in the game than traditional batting and bowling averages do.
Willey joins Jordan Cox in winning a men’s domestic MVP honour in 2025, with the Oval Invincibles batter named The Hundred Men’s Player of the Year after securing 159.89 points.
In the Men’s Domestic Overall MVP standings, Warwickshire all-rounder Ed Barnard leads the way with 538.71 points. Sussex’s James Coles is second with 493.50 points, while Worcestershire all-rounder Ethan Brookes is in third place with 460.02 points.
The next men’s MVP honour to be decided is the Metro Bank One Day Cup Men’s Player of the Year, which will conclude on Sunday 21 September with the final between Hampshire and Worcestershire at Trent Bridge. Essex’s Tom Westley currently leads the MVP standings with 149.88 points.
Throughout Finals Day, the incredible work of the Cricketers’ Trust was also highlighted once again as fans were shown a clip of how the charity has helped the Thorpe family following his passing last year. PCA Director Ian Thomas also appeared on Sky Sports and a very generous amount was donated to the Trust throughout the day, which will prove vital in helping them to continue their crucial work with cricketers and their families.
View the Vitality Blast and Men’s Domestic MVP Rankings here.
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.
