Ben Stokes opened up a massive 74-point lead atop the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings as England completed an impressive 113-run victory over West Indies at Emirates Old Trafford on Monday.
The all-rounder dismantled the tourists’ bowling attack during the morning session of day five, blasting 78 not out from 57 balls to back up his 176 made three days earlier. It is the first time in history that an England player has made over 250 runs and taken at least three wickets in a Test Match.
Stokes’ performance translated to 73 MVP points in the match in Manchester, earning him a second MVP of the Match award in a row after he claimed the same prize with 33 points in the first Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
His 106 MVP points from the first two Test Matches of the summer put Stokes 74 clear of second placed Dom Bess in the PCA’s Overall table for now. For context, Stokes’ current points haul would put him in fourth place in the MVP table for the entire 2019/20 winter.
That means the Test vice-captain is the clear early frontrunner to win a second Overall MVP in a row, despite England potentially looking forward to series’ against three more visiting teams before the summer season is out.
The MVP Rankings were created by the PCA in conjunction with the players in order to determine the match-winners in any given fixture. On top of traditional batting and bowling averages, bonus points are awarded for key contributions such as scoring a high proportion of your team’s runs, claiming top-order wickets and taking catches in the field.
Four England Men’s MVPs will be named at the conclusion of the side’s summer schedule, with one for each of the three main formats as well as a cross-format Overall MVP. Stokes is the current holder of that title after he scored 181 MVP points at an average of 20.15 points-per-game during the winter.
Other MVP headlines from Manchester include opener Dom Sibley, who provided a batting partner for Stokes for much of England’s first innings, moving up to in third place on 27 MVP points after making a fine 120 – his first hundred on home soil.
Another youngster in Bess completes the top three after the spinner did just enough to move into second position with 32 points after turning in two solid performances in Southampton and Manchester.
Veteran fast bowler Stuart Broad completed an impressive return to the side after being left out in Southampton. The 34-year-old showed glimpses of his best form as he returned three wickets in each innings which translated to 26 MVP points. Broad also had a moment to remember after claiming his 1,100 career wicket in all formats – only four current players have more.
Broad’s new ball partner Chris Woakes also had a game to remember. With five wickets in the match, the Warwickshire man moved past 500 first-class wickets, 100 Test wickets and 250 wickets in England across all formats. He now sits fifth in the Overall MVP with 19 points.
Both Broad and Woakes will face stiff competition from the potential return of James Anderson, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood with the Wisden Trophy up for grabs as the last Test at Emirates Old Trafford begins on Friday.
View the England MVP Rankings here.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest MVP news by following the @pcaMVP on Twitter.