Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
England’s number four wins Men’s Test Player of the Summer.
Joe Root has won the 2023 LV= Insurance Men’s Test Player of the Summer award by topping the PCA MVP Rankings, powered by Argentex, following another prosperous summer.
The Yorkshireman scored a hugely impressive 468 runs and took seven wickets across June and July as England beat Ireland and drew the Ashes series with Australia as the visitors retained the urn.
A stunning last Test of the series saw England bowl Australia out on day five at The Kia Oval for 334 to win by 49 runs after Root produced a brilliant 91 in England’s second innings. That result meant Ben Stokes’ side won three of their six Test matches during the summer, with two defeats and a draw in the fourth Ashes Test.
It was also the last appearance of an illustrious England career for Stuart Broad as he retired from all forms of cricket. Incredibly, the 37-year-old took the final two Australian wickets to finish with 604 in Test match cricket. Just fellow opening bowler James Anderson sits ahead of him on the all-time Test leading wicket takers list.
Earlier in July, the PCA announced a three-year agreement that saw Argentex, a leading global payment and currency risk management company, become the title partner for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Rankings.
With a synergy brought together by statistics and world leading metrics, Argentex powers the MVP, with the formula taking into account expected performance on every ball according to CricViz’s extensive database. The algorithm also considers the historic performances of the venue each fixture is being played at, therefore giving a more accurate reflection of the top performers in the game than traditional batting and bowling averages do.
With standout performances throughout the summer, Root won the LV= Insurance Test Player of the Summer award by securing 152 points on the MVP table.
The 32-year-old scored 468 runs at an average of 52 alongside taking seven wickets at 33 apiece and 12 catches.
The England number four also secured a Match MVP award in the second Test of the summer at Edgbaston. He scored a sublime unbeaten 118 off 152 balls which included seven fours and four sixes and once again showcased his audacious reverse ramp shot. In the second innings, he then scored 46 off 55 balls and took the wicket of Alex Carey caught and bowled, earning him 50 MVP points for the game, the highest total of the six summer Test matches.
The Yorkshireman also impressed in the second innings of the last Test, scoring a fantastic 91 off 106 balls after his 84 in the fourth Test helped England on their way to a mammoth total of 592.
Following the conclusion of the final match, Root received his LV= Insurance Men’s Test Player of the Summer trophy – produced by Mappin & Webb – at The Kia Oval.
Another standout player during the summer, finishing in second place just four points behind Root is the England opener Zak Crawley with 148 Test MVP points.
The Kent batter was England’s leading scorer throughout the Ashes and amassed 548 runs and took 11 catches this summer, including the Test against Ireland.
The 25-year-old picked up the Match MVP award for his unbelievable performance in the fourth Ashes Test.
Crawley hammered the Australian attack with a blistering 189 off 182 balls including 21 fours and three sixes putting on a 206-run partnership with Root as England reached their highest total of the summer, however it was to be in vain as rain ensured the game was drawn.
Third on the Test Rankings with an impressive 131 MVP points is Crawley’s opening partner Ben Duckett.
The 28-year-old scored 503 Test runs this summer at an average of 50.3, which included a brilliant innings at Lord’s of 182 off 178 balls against Ireland.
Duckett also picked up the Match MVP award in the second Ashes Test after his scores of 98 and 83 earned him 46 points.
View the Men’s Test MVP table by clicking here and selecting the Test tab.
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.
