Stokes holds huge MVP lead ahead of final Test

Ben Stokes takes a massive 74-point MVP lead atop the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings into the final Test against the West Indies beginning at Old Trafford on Friday.

The all-rounder’s sensational performance in the second Test of the ongoing series translated to 73 MVP points for the match in Manchester, with his 106 MVP points from the first two Test Matches of the summer putting him 74 clear of second placed Dom Bess in the PCA’s Overall MVP 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.

Stokes sits amongst a plethora of third Test fast bowling options for Joe Root and Chris Silverwood – James Anderson, who could make his 250th first class appearance on Friday, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran were all also named in the 14-man squad for the fixture on Thursday.

Bess also keeps his place in the squad at the expense of left-arm spinner Jack Leach, with the former aiming to continue his good form in the MVP after taking the final wicket to win the game on Monday. The off-spinner currently has 33 MVP points to his name.

Behind Stokes and Bess sits opening batsman Dom Sibley (28 points), who made a memorable first Test hundred on home soil with 120 in the first innings of the second Test.

Pacemen Broad and Woakes currently complete the top five with 27 and 20 MVP points respectively. Whilst Stokes is way out ahead at the top of the table, there is plenty of scope for movement within the top five and beyond.

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.

Full squad for England’s third Test Match against the West Indies at Emirates Old Trafford: Joe Root (C), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

View the England MVP Rankings here.

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