With big centuries and plenty of five wicket bags, competition for top spot on the Mitre 10 MVP tables is getting tough. The Plunket Shield and one day competitions are well underway for the men’s domestic season, with the countdown now on to the start of the HRV Cup in January.
This year the Mitre 10 MVP also includes international and women’s cricket. With the BLACKCAPS having just completed their firstseries of the season and the women’s domestic competitions in full swing, all eyes are on the big names of the game.
Domestic men
Central Stags bowlers dominate the top two positions on the overall Mitre 10 MVP rankings. Ewen Thompson and Michael Mason have consistently taken wickets in every Stags game, knocking off the top order of their opposition.
Thompson, who also featured highly in last season’s MVP, coming in at sixth on the overall leader board, said it’s great to be up the top again this year. “It is great to be heading into the Christmas break at the top of the Mitre 10 MVP rankings. Performances so far this season have been spectacular so it’s nice to be contributing to the Stags performance.”
Movers and shakers
Warren McSkimming has been one of the leaders with the ball, taking nine wickets in the last round of the Plunket Shield to help push the Volts to third on the points table. As a result, McSkimming has made a big move up the Mitre 10 MVP leader board from 17th to fourth. After his match winning 245* against the Firebirds in the latest round of the Plunket Shield, Peter Ingram is now second behind Neil Broome on the overall batting table. Stag’s captain Jamie How, who starred with Ingram in the match winning partnership against the Firebirds, is currently sitting in ninth place.
Last year’s MVP winner Mathew Sinclair was in third spot at this stage last year, and this year he is sitting at 16.
Domestic women
For the first season the domestic women are involved with the Mitre 10 MVP. With two Twenty20 rounds and four one day rounds already completed, the early leader of the competition is Northern Spirit all-rounder Nicola Browne. Although the Spirit is currently sitting in fifth, she has shone with both the bat and the ball. Browne scored 51* and 93 in the double header against the Hinds, taking 2 wickets in each game.
International
The BLACKCAPS have also just completed their Test series against Pakistan, and it’s no surprise captain Daniel Vettori leads the way on the international MVP overall rankings. However, talented batsman Ross Taylor is nipping at the captain’s heels and is keen to knock him off that top perch. Taylor says, “The first season of Mitre 10 International MVP is shaping up as a good contest. Dan was awesome in the Pakistan series but, I will be looking forward to chasing him down when we resume against Bangladesh and Australia in the New Year”.
