Sciver the double MVP for winter 2019/20

Natalie Sciver has been named both the England Women Overall and T20I MVP for winter 2019/20, after her side’s T20 World Cup campaign came to a disappointing end with a washout at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

With no reserve day in place, England opponents India progressed to Sunday’s final by virtue of finishing top of Group A, whilst the Three Lions finished second behind South Africa in Group B.

It was a heartbreaking way for Heather Knight’s side to exit a competition which they had grown into with some excellent performances against Pakistan, Thailand and West Indies following their opening narrow loss to South Africa.

The performances of Sciver and Knight were crucial to England’s improvement throughout the tournament, and the experienced duo have finished well clear of the rest at the top of the Overall MVP, with the all-rounder edging out her captain by just one MVP point.

Sciver has appeared in 13 games for her country across all formats this winter, winning nine and averaging 9.62 MVP points-per-game – the most of any player. She has accumulated 125 MVP points in total, with only one player (Knight) scoring more points for batting and three (Glenn, Ecclestone, Shrubsole) scoring more for bowling.

During the T20 World Cup, Sciver amassed 202 runs throughout the tournament, including three half-centuries. This is the most by any female English player in the tournament, and only 56 runs short of Australian Meg Lanning’s all-time record.

Sciver’s form in the shortest format has led to her claiming a prestigious double of both the Overall and T20I MVPs for 2019/20. As in the Overall table, she edged out her captain Knight for the prize, this time by just three MVP points.

She joins teammate Sarah Glenn in winning an England Women MVP prize this winter. The young leg-spinner capped off an impressive introduction to international cricket by claiming the ODI MVP back in December, with England only competing in three fixtures in that format this winter.

The MVP algorithm was created by the PCA in conjunction with the players to reward match-winning individual performances. Bonus points are awarded for key disciplines including scoring a high proportion of your team’s runs, claiming top-order wickets and taking catches in the field. The formula therefore gives a better indication of the top performers than traditional batting and bowling averages do.

England Women MVPs are named at the conclusion of both the side’s winter and summer schedules. There are awards for the ODI and T20I formats, as well as a cross-format Overall MVP prize.

The next round of England Women MVPs will be named in September, at the conclusion of a summer schedule that sees the visit of India and South Africa to face Knight’s side.

View the England Women Overall MVP Rankings here.

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