Huge congratulations to Stephen Eskinazi, who has secured the supporters' vote and has been awarded the PCA Player of the Month award for August 2022 after his incredible record-breaking form in the Royal London Cup.
Shortlists were selected via the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings meaning Eskinazi was nominated amongst a strong top four which included two players that were involved in the Royal London Cup, with the Middlesex batter selected alongside Leicestershire’s Wiaan Mulder, and two players that were involved in The Hundred – Northern Superchargers’ Adam Lyth and Oval Invincibles’ Will Jacks.
Eskinazi secured the public vote with 39% but it was very close between the other three behind him with Jacks on 22%, Lyth on 21% and Mulder on 18%.
Eskinazi was a deserving winner of this month’s award scoring an incredible 658 runs at a staggering average of 94 which included four hundreds and one fifty, giving him 129 MVP points.
The Middlesex opener and captain for the competition scored a career best 182 off 136 balls including 17 fours and six sixes against Surrey to win the Match MVP and add 35 points to his total.
“It is really pleasing to win the award, however, it was disappointing that those runs in the One Day Cup didn’t lead to Middlesex qualifying despite winning five games. It was a fantastic month for me and captaining a young side I was looking to take on more responsibility as a senior player. I always knew if I played my best cricket I had a chance to do well but there is a big difference in thinking that and actually performing consistently.
“I felt I set the tone in a few matches and innings for our side and when it came to me talking about the way I wanted us to play it was nice for me to embody that from the start.”
“It’s been really nice to back up a couple of good years. Anybody can have a good year but the real challenge is creating that consistency and with so much analysis every year people will bowl differently at you so I really enjoy trying to be one step ahead.”
The 28-year-old was the leading run scorer in The Royal London Cup and struck an incredible 79 fours and 14 sixes, however he had high hopes of being selected in The Hundred.
“I had really hoped to be part of The Hundred and not being selected was something that was really disappointing for me because I felt I deserved a go.
“If it was one year or a couple of good games you would have to keep setting your stall out to show teams you have the consistency but the really disappointing thing this year through the draft, the wildcard and replacement players is that at every stage and every juncture I felt like I’d enough credits in the bank to be considered. It did get to a point when I thought what more can I do? What more can I add to my game, is there anything missing? Fundamentally you get what you deserve in cricket and there are things you cannot control.”
Eskinazi won an incredible four Match MVPs throughout the group stages and broke a world record in becoming the first person to hit three consecutive scores of above 130 in List A cricket.
“I wasn’t aware of it. I was in Nottinghamshire for the third one and going into that game I had a personal goal to do it as I had scored back to back hundreds before in my career but never three. I wasn’t aware of any records though so when I got out for 135 at Grantham people were telling me that stat so it was pleasing and something that is a culmination of a lot of hard work.
“We’ve an important month of cricket to finish the season. We made promotion a massive priority because we’re a club with the depth that needs to push for first division cricket so we need to end the season well with these last three games.”
To find out more about the PCA MVP Rankings click HERE
Eskinazi was presented with his trophy at training yesterday, by teammate Mark Stoneman...
