Ed Barnard has climbed into the top five of the PCA’s Overall County Most Valuable Player rankings for 2018 which encompasses all three domestic competitions.
The Worcestershire all-rounder’s excellent campaign is reflected in his fifth position with 274.41 points at an average of 14.14 per game.
The recently capped England Lions player has netted 67.77 points for batting, 185.64 for bowling, 10.00 for fielding plus 11.00 for being on the winning side.
Opening batsman and effective white ball bowler Daryl Mitchell – the current PCA chairman – is the next best placed Worcestershire player in 21st position.
Mitchell has accumulated 227.36 points at an average of 11.37 – 159.71 for batting, 42.65 for bowling, 14.00 for fielding and, like Barnard, 11.00 for being part of a winning team.
Other Worcestershire players in the top 40 of the PCA Overall County Most Valuable Player rankings are Joe Clarke (26th) – 218.92 at 10.95 – and Ben Cox (36th) – 195.68 at 9.78.
The MVP formula was designed to identify the match-winners and key influencers of matches throughout the domestic and international season.
An innovation which provides a more rigorous analysis of player performances than traditional batting and bowling averages, the MVP formula gives full credit to those players whose performances improve their team’s chances of winning.
Points are accrued for all runs scored and wickets taken, these are then adjusted within the context of the match to take into account strike rates and economy rates.
Runs gain more points if they are scored quickly or in low-scoring contests. Top order wickets are judged more valuable than those that fall later. Catches, run-outs and stumpings are also accounted for as well as bonus points for captains and players who are on the victorious side.
The player who tops the overall PCA County MVP Rankings at the end of the season receives a £10,000 reward.