Bopara back on top

Ravi Bopara knocked Kent's Martin van Jaarsveld off the summit of the PCA MVP

Ravi Bopara had double the reason to celebrate after reclaiming the lead in the PCA MVP on the day he won an England recall.

The Essex all-rounder was included in the squad for the fourth npower Test against South Africa just hours after his return to the top of the domestic rankings was confirmed.

He assumes pole position at the expense of Kent’s Martin van Jaarsveld after taking 3-19 and scoring 46 runs in the LV County Championship defeat by Glamorgan.

Van Jaarsveld is level with Bopara on 417 points but he has played eight more games than the 23-year-old, with both players meeting the Friends Provident final on August 16, a game which will decide who takes that competition’s MVP.

Yasir Arafat continued his excellent form with match figures of 6-86 in Kent’s championship encounter against Hampshire at Canterbury, climbing to third in the overall MVP.

Yorkshire all-rounder Tim Bresnan – an ever-present in this year’s top 10 – occupies fourth spot, while Nottinghamshire's Samit Patel – named in England’s one-day squad for the NatWest Series today – is fifth.

Kent pair Azhar Mahmood and Ryan McLaren fill six and seventh spots respectively, while Durham’s Steve Harmison and Essex all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate sandwich Worcestershire seamer Kabir Ali, a new entry at number nine.