England eyeing Ashes comeback – MVP preview

Although a draw in the Test at Taunton has seen Australia retain the Women’s Ashes once more, the England Women squad will be aiming to move up the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings during the three T20Is that are still to be played.

Individual honours are still at stake as the Overall and T20I MVPs for summer 2019 will be crowned following the final game at Bristol on Wednesday 31 July. Kent’s Tammy Beaumont has already taken home the ODI prize, but the two other awards remain up for grabs.

In addition, if the side can win each of their remaining fixtures, England will salvage some pride by finishing the points-based contest level with Australia on eight apiece. As a result, there should be plenty of motivation for the Three Lions to put in some strong individual performances.

As usual, the PCA will be keeping track of the top performers via its purpose-built MVP Rankings.

The MVP formula was designed by the PCA in conjunction with the players to reward match-winning performances, and recognises the importance of the genuine all-rounder.

On top of traditional batting and bowling averages, bonus points are awarded for scoring quickly, hitting a high proportion of your team’s runs and taking top order wickets, amongst other disciplines.

All-rounder Nat Sciver currently leads the England Women’s Overall Ranking going into the three T20I fixtures.

Although England have endured a difficult time during the series so far, Sciver has produced some encouraging individual performances along the way.

She made 64 of her side’s 177 – with no other player passing 27 – during the first ODI, and top-scored again with a battling 88 during the drawn Test at Taunton.

The 26-year-old has also taken five wickets across the four matches played so far at the impressive average of 27.6 – the lowest of any England player to have bowled at least 20 overs in that time.

Sciver is leading the way, but it’s tight at the top with Anya Shrubsole just over two MVP points behind her.

Shrubsole, as he she has done for nearly 11 years, has led England’s bowling attack from the front over the course of this summer – no player has earned more bowling points than her 34.68.

Breathing down her neck is opening batter Tammy Beaumont, the last England player to claim the Overall MVP on home soil.

Despite experiencing a relatively lean time with the bat of late, Beaumont had an excellent series against West Indies earlier in the summer, and still managed to post a majestic 114 against Australia during the second ODI at Leicester earlier this month,

The 28-year-old will be hoping to replicate the scintillating form she produced last summer, when she hit three consecutive centuries against South Africa to all but confirm herself as the Overall MVP.

In terms of the T20I MVP, it’s Sussex’s Danni Wyatt who leads the way, albeit after only one completed fixture.

With two of the three scheduled T20Is against the West Indies washed out, Wyatt opened the batting in the other game to make a brilliant 81, guiding England to victory by 42 runs.

She enjoys a 6-point headstart over third-placed Katherine Brunt, after Linsey Smith, currently in second position, didn’t make the squad for the remaining fixtures.

We will know the identity of the summer 2019 Overall and T20I MVPs in just a few days time, after England Women’s final game of the summer takes place on Wednesday 31 July.

View the England Women Overall MVP Rankings here.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest MVP news by following the @pcaMVP on Twitter.