Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
Oval Invincibles all-rounders claim Player of the Month awards.
Flying the flag for the Oval Invincibles in August were all-rounders Sam Curran and Marizanne Kapp, who have been voted PCA Players of the Month for their fantastic performances in the domestic game.
The pair were shortlisted through the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings, for their remarkable displays in August as the top four players according to the unique algorithm from the men’s and women’s game faced a public vote. The winners were decided by a 50:50 split between the PCA MVP Rankings and the supporters poll.
In the men’s game, Curran finished with over 40% of the public vote to secure the trophy. Warwickshire all-rounder Ed Barnard finished second after a brilliant Metro Bank One Day Cup season with Southern Brave’s Alex Davies in third and Birmingham Phoenix opener Ben Duckett in fourth.
For the women’s category, it was much closer with Kapp taking the prize thanks to earning the highest percentage of the public vote. Northern Superchargers Annabel Sutherland was a close second, with Hundred winner Deepti Sharma third and Welsh Fire’s Hayley Matthews in fourth place.
Curran voted best player in August
Left-arm all-rounder Curran enjoyed a phenomenal month with bat and ball, securing 142 MVP points in the Rankings, thanks to 189 runs and an incredible 16 wickets.
The 26-year-old was part of the Oval Invincibles side that won The Hundred for the second year in succession, scoring 25 batting at number three in the final to beat Southern Brave by 17 runs at Lord’s.
Curran was named as The Hundred Men’s PCA MVP Player of the Year for his performances in the tournament and secured three Match MVP awards along the way.
Against Manchester Originals, Curran scored a blistering 68 off just 38 balls to go with figures of 2-16, claiming 32 MVP points.
In the London derby at Lord’s, Curran produced his most impressive match of the competition, scoring an unbeaten 51 off 22 balls and then taking 5-16 including a hat-trick.
Curran will receive a bespoke Mappin & Webb trophy at the Utilita Bowl ahead of the first Vitality IT20 match against Australia.
On winning the accolade, Curran said: “It’s special to win the award, I think this summer I’ve really enjoyed my cricket and made some great memories with close friends and team mates.
“I think the environment that was created by the coaching staff and everyone at the Invincibles was great, it’s been four years with a similar group and to now have two trophies back to back is amazing. We have a brilliant squad and we found some great form throughout the season, it feels very special
“I think the support we’ve had this summer has been great, the Oval is my favourite ground and to see it constantly full is such a great thing, and the atmosphere is so good on the big nights.”
Kapp wins August PCA Player of the Month
South-African all-rounder Kapp produced a fine run of form in August, taking nine wickets and scoring 174 runs to earn 131 MVP points.
The Invincibles all-rounder amassed the most amount of MVP bowling points in the women’s game in August with 65.
The 34-year-old won two Match MVP awards in the month, against Trent Rockets she scored an unbeaten 26 and took 3-8 earning her 32 MVP points.
Her most impressive performance came against London Spirit where she smashed 47 off just 32 balls and then took fabulous figures of 4-11, securing a further 54 MVP points on the Rankings.
Kapp will receive a bespoke Mappin & Webb trophy to celebrate her achievement, adding another PCA award to her collection following winning The Hundred Women’s PCA MVP Player of the Year in 2023.
Find out more about the MVP Rankings and view the domestic men’s and women’s tables.
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Name of Author: Professional Cricketers Association
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), founded in 1967 by former England fast bowler Fred Rumsey as the Cricketers’ Association, represents past and present first-class cricketers in England and Wales. In the 1970s, the PCA established a standard employment contract and minimum wage for professional cricketers. It also helped create a pension scheme in 1995 and launched the magazine All Out Cricket and the ACE UK Educational Programme in 2002.
