Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
- Kirstie Gordon wins award after taking 17 wickets in May
- Jordan Cox wins Player of the Month thanks to significant public vote
- Gordon: “It’s great to have support from around the country, knowing it’s not just my mum voting.”
- Cox: “I think the fans must have enjoyed the battering against my former club.”
The Blaze’s Kirstie Gordon and Essex’s Jordan Cox have been voted the PCA Players of the Month for May following some remarkable performances in the domestic game.
The pair were shortlisted through the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings, powered by Argentex, for their brilliant performances in May as the top four players according to the unique algorithm from the men’s and women’s games faced a public vote. The winners were decided by a 50:50 split between the PCA MVP Rankings and the supporters poll.
In the women’s category, Gordon secured the highest amount of MVP points and the largest percentage of the public vote to give her the award. For this month, the public vote followed the same pattern as the top four ranked players on the MVP with Western Storm’s Amanda-Jade Wellington finishing second in consecutive months, Central Sparks skipper Eve Jones in third and Thunder’s Fi Morris in fourth.
For the men’s category, Cox won almost half of the public vote to catapult him above Hampshire’s Liam Dawson who secured the highest amount of MVP points during the month. Lancashire opener Keaton Jennings finished third with Durham’s David Bedingham in fourth position.
Gordon voted best player in May
A fantastic month for Gordon saw her take 17 wickets at a phenomenal average of just 10.8, alongside scoring 108 runs to secure a total of 135 MVP points for May.
The slow left-armer picked up two Match MVP awards for impressive performances against Southern Vipers and Thunder.
The 26-year-old gained 36 points against Thunder in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for her innings of 43, backed up with figures of 3-25.
In the Charlotte Edwards Cup, Gordon picked up 37 MVP points for her 29 with the bat and 2-13 with the ball.
Gordon will receive a bespoke Mappin & Webb trophy for winning the May PCA Player of the Month and described what it was like to win the accolade.
“It’s great to be recognised for performances but the best thing is that we’ve been winning games of cricket as a team.
“I feel like since I’ve come back from being in New Zealand, my bowling has been in a good place, when things are going well you’ve got to ride the wave.
“With us missing a few players I had more chances in the middle with the bat and I relish those opportunities, if I can help the team to a good total then that’s great.
“This Blaze squad wants to win trophies, we made both finals last year and fell short so we want to bring some silverware back to Trent Bridge.
“It’s a nice feeling that people have voted for me, it’s great to have that support from around the country and know that it’s not just my mum voting.”
Cox wins May PCA Player of the Month
A heavy run-scoring month for Cox saw the Essex batter amass an incredible 478 runs including two centuries, giving him 118 MVP points in May.
The 23-year-old moved from his native Kent across the bridge to Essex for the 2024 season and won a Match MVP against his old club.
The right-handed batter scored a blistering 207 off 255 balls in the Vitality County Championship at Canterbury, earning him 47 MVP points.
Cox also scored a second innings 112 against Warwickshire as his new side chased down 331 to win by four wickets.
Cox will also receive a bespoke Mappin & Webb trophy and spoke of his surprise at winning his first PCA Player of the Month award.
“I definitely didn’t think I was going to win this with Bedingham scoring four hundreds but I think the fans enjoyed the battering against my former club.
“I got booed when I went out to bat at Canterbury which was a first but I think by the time I’d got my double hundred I’d won the crowd over – to do that at my original club was special.
“I’ve never won it before and this is pretty cool, I said to (Simon) Harmer I’m up for PCA Player of the Month and he said he’d won a few, I think I’ve got a way to go to catch him.
“I’m enjoying my cricket at a new club that’s fighting for the County Championship and trying to score as many runs as I can.
“I had this conversation with the boys in the changing room and it’s a great feeling knowing that fans watching county cricket are backing me.”
Find out more about the MVP Rankings and view the domestic men’s and women’s tables.
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.
