Sophie named PCA Player of the Month
Western Storm and Glamorgan have taken the PCA Player of the Month awards for July with Sophie Luff and Sam Northeast being rated as the top players on the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings and securing the supporters’ vote.
The Western Storm skipper impressed in a short month in domestic women’s cricket with four fixtures in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint trophy.
She was up against Sunrisers’ Grace Scrivens, Southern Vipers’ Georgia Elwiss and Central Sparks’ Eve Jones, but secured 35% of the verified public vote with the 2021 MVP winner Jones just behind with 33%, coming second in consecutive months.
Sophie is the third winner of the award this year, breaking the South East Stars run of success which saw Aylish Cranstone win the May award with Kalea Moore the standout winner in June.
Northeast was nominated amongst a strong top four in domestic men’s cricket which included Essex’s Simon Harmer, Leicestershire’s Colin Ackermann and Gloucestershire’s Zafar Gohar. With the public vote ultimately deciding the winner, Northeast received the majority of the independently verified public vote with 66%, Zafar Gohar was second with 15%.
The former Hampshire and Kent man follows in the footsteps of Harry Brook and double winner Shan Masood in lifting the Player of the Month trophy in 2022.
Sophie scored a brilliant 251 runs in the month at an average of 83.6, winning two Match MVP awards and earning 70 points on the rankings taking her up to eighth on the overall table.
“It’s obviously very pleasing to win player of the month,” she said. “I’ve had a couple of good games this month and it was just nice to be in the top four so to win the award is very special.
“I was up against some very good players and there’s been some great cricket throughout the domestic competitions so it was nice to win in such a high calibre group.”
The Western Storm number three scored 100 not out against Sunrisers in a three wicket win for her side which included 10 fours and a six earning her the Match MVP award and 32 points. She then picked up the Match MVP award in the next game scoring 95 against South East Stars.
“It was really pleasing to get the 100* against Sunrisers. I had a job to do for my team and I wasn’t really thinking about the three figures. I just knew I had to be there at the end to make sure we won the game and it just so happened that I needed a four to bring up the hundred, so it was fitting that I hit the winning runs but mainly I was pleased to get the win for Western Storm.
“I backed up my form with 95 the next week but those runs are bit futile in the end when you don’t get the win, it was disappointing that we couldn’t get over the line on that occasion.”
Luff is captaining the Western Storm side again and is excited by the youth of her side.
“I pride myself on leading from the front and I’m pleased I’ve been able to do that in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
“It’s a brilliant experience to be captain of this side and it’s something that I’ve done for a few years now. They’re a great bunch of players and we’ve got a young team which means we’re not as consistent as we want to be yet but we’re building and it’s an exciting squad with a lot of talent, we’ve just got to find that winning formula.”
Luff has moved from Welsh Fire over to the Lord’s based London Spirit franchise in the Hundred and can’t wait to get started on August 14th.
“Hopefully I’ve signed for a winning team, I’m looking forward to experiencing a new challenge with London Spirit this year and embracing the Hundred and I’m sure it’s going to be bigger and better this year.
“Thanks to everyone who voted, it’s nice to be recognised and hopefully I can continue to put in winning performances and have a good end to the season.”
Find out more about the PCA MVP Rankings and view the men’s and women’s tables.
