Worcestershire all-rounder Moeen Ali is the leader of England’s One Day International PCA Most Valuable Player Rankings for the summer after a superb series with the ball helped England create history against Australia.
England beat Australia 5-0 in the Royal London ODI Series, becoming the first England side to do so in any format of the game thanks to a series of outstanding individual displays.
But, despite the batting heroics of the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy and Jos Buttler, it was Moeen’s guile with the ball which has taken him to the summit of the ODI Rankings with 101.24 points.
He is three points ahead of second placed Buttler after honing his skills by helping Worcestershire to reach the semi-finals of the Royal London One-Day Cup with a brilliant century against Warwickshire and finishing as the County’s most economical bowler in the competition.
Moeen started off the ODI series with a Man of the Match display at the Kia Oval, taking three for 43 from his 10 overs before scoring a valuable run-a-ball 17 to help England to a three-wicket win.
His economical bowling was a key component to England’s performances throughout the series with the MVP formula designed to identify the match-winners and key influencers of matches.
It is an innovation which provides a more rigorous analysis of player performances than traditional batting and bowling averages.
Points are accrued for all runs scored and wickets taken, these are then adjusted within the context of the match, taking into account strike rates, economy rates as well as when wickets are taken.
In the second ODI in Cardiff Moeen took the wickets of opener D’Arcy Short and the dangerous Glenn Maxwell, two key dismissals which score favourably in the MVP formula.
Catches, run-outs and stumpings are also accounted for as well as bonus points for Captains and players who are on the victorious side.
In the final match at Emirates Old Trafford, Moeen stabilised his position at the top of the ODI Rankings. The off-spinner took career best figures of 4-46 which included three of the top four batsmen.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid sits in third place on 81 points with Bairstow (74) and Roy (69) completing the top five in the ODI standings in a series to remember.
