Stats behind Leicestershire’s wins prove they’re no fluke – 12/06/12

Stats behind Leicestershire’s wins prove they’re no fluke – 12/06/12 Outstanding performances by some of Leicestershire’s t20 specialists are the real reason behind the county’s remarkable grip on the competition, new analysis has revealed. The Friends Life t20 reigning champions are the only county to have won in the format more than once and have made two further Finals Day appearances alongside their three victories. But as well as great team performances, their success against the odds has been built on incredible individual feats according to figures from the FTI Most Valuable Player Rankings. The rankings show that overseas player, Andrew McDonald, was the best t20 player in the country last year scoring 222 points, with teammate, Josh Cobb, third in the list with 180 points. Former Foxes player and fellow Australian, Jim Allenby, contributed the best individual performance of all time, as well as being the fifth highest point scorer since the rankings began. The Perth-born all-rounder smashed 110 runs in just 58 balls before taking 3 for 35 against Nottinghamshire for his old county at Grace Road in June 2009. His efforts earned him a staggering 47.53 points in the FTI MVP rankings system, which compares players against their peers in every facet of the county game. And PCA Assistant Chief Executive, Jason Ratcliffe, believes this year’s contenders will have to be at their very best if they’re to challenge both Leicestershire and Allenby’s records. He said, ” There have been some tremendous performances in the t20 over the years and the fact that Leicestershire players have contributed so many of them reflects in their continued success. ” Jim’s all-round performances will take some beating. Being an all-rounder clearly helps within the context of winning matches and can also have a major influence in the MVP concept.” Kieron Smith, Senior Vice President, FTI Consulting, added, ” I think the FTI Most Valuable Player Rankings add an extra dimension to how we rate T20 performances for individuals. ” This sort of data could be very interesting to the people who run the IPL, as they could use the statistics to help them cherry pick the best county player’s for next year’s league.” Leicester begin the defense of their Friends Life t20 tomorrow (Tues) against neighbours Nottinghamshire, who themselves boast one of the competition’s best ever performers in Samit Patel. Patel is currently fourth in the all-time T20 FTI MVP list and just eight points behind Somerset’s injured skipper Marcus Trescothick. Leicestershire’s best performing player among their current ranks is Claude Henderson, who has 311 FTI MVP Ranking points to his name. His best individual performance was a quick-fire 32 off 14 balls and 1/19 against Derbyshire in June 2010, which earned him 17 points. Their form player in the format is Josh Cobb, who earned 180 points during 2011 and saved his best performance (18 of 10 balls, 4/22 and a catch) against Somerset in last year’s final. In Will Jefferson they also have a talented player who has amassed 296 points, just a handful behind Henderson and fellow t20 specialist, Abdul Razzaq. Nottinghamshire’s best performing player over the years has been Samit Patel, who is fourth in the overall t20 FTI MVP Rankings with 538 points. His best individual match stats of 70 off 43 balls and 1/27 came against Derbyshire in July last year. Their form player is opener Alex Hales, who racked up 143 points in last year’s competition with a best of 76 off 40 balls that earned him 21 FTI MVP points. Former Foxes player, Allenby, will be hoping for more of the same on Thursday when Glamorgan begin their campaign against Northampton. He also features at number four on the all-time performance list, after hitting 50 in 31 balls and taking 5/27 and a catch against Derbyshire in June 2008. That performance came just days after he became the first player in Twenty20 Cup history to achieve four wickets with four consecutive balls, when he removed Lancashire Lightning’s, Kyle Hogg, Steven Croft, Dominic Cork and Sajid Mahmood. Unfortunately for Allenby, he was out for a duck in the Leicestershire innings, as his side lost the match by 37 runs. The top ten best performances feature three by Essex players including Graham Napier’s 152 in 58 deliveries and a world record 16 sixes. Six of the top ten performances contain explosive centuries by batsmen, with three featuring five or more wickets in an innings. Now in their sixth season, the FTI MVP Rankings reward players for every run scored, wicket taken and catch held. There are also bonuses on offer when runs and wickets contribute to a win for the team, whilst captains earn extra points for their command of a successful side. Bowlers receive higher marks for good economy rates, maidens, and for dismissing top order batsmen, as well as extra points for five or more dismissals in an innings. In addition, batting points are handed out for high run rates and the percentage of the team’s runs each batsman contributes. Fielding points are awarded for catches, run outs and stumpings. Top 10 Best t20 Performances 2007 to date Position Name Date Opponents Points Performance 1 Jim Allenby 03/06/12 Notts 47.53 110 in 58 balls & 3/35 2 Ravi Bopara 11/07/10 Somerset 43.92 105 in 62 balls & 2/26 3 Adam Gilchrist 11/06/10 Kent 42.33 106 in 52 balls & 1c & 1st 4 James Allenby 27/08/08 Derbys 41.68 50 in 31 balls & 5/27 & 1c 5 Andrew Hall 13/06/08 Worcs 40.63 66 in 51 balls & 6/21 & 1c 6 Graham Napier 24/06/08 Sussex 40.48 152 in 58 balls & 1c 7 Andrew McDonald 15/07/10 Notts 40.48 58 in 44 balls & 5/13 8 Will Jefferson 26/06/11 Durham 37.45 126 in 60 balls 9 Ryan ten Doeschate 13/06/10 Middlesex 37.40 102 in 53 balls & 1c 10 Michael Lumb 04/06/09 Essex 37.06 124 in 69 balls 2011 Friends Life t20 FTI MVP Rankings Position Player County Total FTI MVP Points 1 Andrew McDonald Leicestershire 222 2 Azhar Mahmood Kent 191 3 Josh Cobb Leicestershire 180 4 Marcus Trescothick Somerset 158 5 Tim Phillips Essex 150 Top 5 Ranked Players 2007 to date Position Player Total FTI MVP Ranking Points 1 Daren Stevens 607 2 Azhar Mahmood 531 3 Marcus Trescothick 546 4 Samit Patel 538 5 James Allenby 453 For more information on the FTI MVP ranking system please visit www.thepca.co.uk. For more info on this release contact Robin Hutchison at Earlybird Media on 07968 124 132 or robin@earlybirdmedia.co.uk About FTI Consulting FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organisations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.4 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2010. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.