Outstanding Higgins stakes Overall MVP claim
22 August 2019
Gloucestershire’s star all-rounder Ryan Higgins has enjoyed a stellar 2019 domestic season so far, with his recent performances in particular putting him well in the running for the PCA’s annual Overall Most Valuable Player award.
Higgins, who recently moved from tenth to fifth in the Overall MVP after a month-long block of Vitality Blast fixtures, has risen to second in the Rankings following another outstanding performance in his side’s stunning Specsavers County Championship victory over Derbyshire.
The 24-year-old bowled tirelessly in the first innings (no Gloucestershire player recorded more than his 22 overs) to take 5-54 and help skittle Derbyshire for 200. Not content with that, the Harare-born man came out to bat with his side 143-5, before contributing a rapid 101 to a mammoth sixth wicket stand of 221 with opening batsman Chris Dent (169).
Although Derbyshire responded with 481-6 dec in their second innings, Higgins contributed 21 not out to a stunning fourth innings run chase, accruing 43.03 MVP points in the match.
His third such award of a brilliant season in all formats, it has helped him to sit behind only Warwickshire’s Jeetan Patel in the Overall MVP by a margin of 33 points.
Higgins aside, the rest of the Overall top five has a familiar feel after the most recent block of four day fixtures, with Patel leading and Lewis Gregory, Simon Harmer and Craig Overton occupying third, fourth and fifth positions respectively.
The MVP algorithm was designed by the PCA in conjunction with the players to reward match-winning performances. On top of traditional batting and bowling averages, bonus points are awarded, for example, for accumulating a high proportion of your side’s runs, claiming top order wickets and taking catches in the field, amongst other game-changing disciplines.
The PCA keeps track of the top performers in the domestic game via the Overall MVP table, and the player who accrues the most MVP points in all formats in 2019 will receive a £10,000 prize at the 50th NatWest PCA Awards on Wednesday 2 October.
