Trescothick surges into FTI MVP view

Marcus Trescothick, the defending champion, struck a double century to leave himself fifth in the overall FTI MVP

There can be no doubt that this year's FTI MVP race has been a marathon.

The players have been asked to chop and change between formats, cope with six more Twenty20 group matches and cover the length and breadth of the country to gather their MVP points.

With less than a month of the season left, however, the finish line is in sight and one or two of the contenders for the FTI MVP crown have kicked for home.

Defending champion Marcus Trescothick, who appeared to be nowhere two weeks ago, has made a move onto the shoulder of the leaders with an impressive late surge.

He was criticised in some quarters for being conservative in the LV= County Championship against Kent, where he made 188 not out on the last day without pulling out.

However, his response was to smash a brilliant unbeaten run-a-ball 228 not out and declare with two days of the match left against Essex at Colchester.

Buoyed by that win inside three days, Trescothick then put Sussex to the sword with 67 off 36 balls in a rain-shortened Clydesdale Bank 40 match at Horsham.

The former England opener has now scored 1,939 runs across all forms from 41 matches, 1,132 of which have come in the championship where he is ranked eighth.

His winning points total last year was 632 from 45 games and he already has 484 this time, making him fifth overall.

Neil Carter still leads this campaign with 548 points from 35 matches.

Carter flew out of the blocks to snatch the FTI MVP award for April and has only had Adil Rashid for company ahead of the chasing pack all season.

The Warwickshire all-rounder has scored 1,052 runs and taken 67 wickets, 557 and 42 of which have come in the LV=CC where he is ranked second.

He is eighth in the CB40 FTI MVP having added to his points tally with 35 off 30 balls and 1-26 against Durham.

High-flying Warwickshire all-rounder Neil Cater still leads the overall FTI MVP

Rashid is second in the overall FTI MVP and leads Carter by six points in the LV=CC FTI MVP.

Across all forms he has scored 757 runs and taken 85 wickets, while in the championship his return reads 603 and 50.

This week he was quiet in the LV=CC with innings of 17 and 15 and no wickets, but he was key in Yorkshire's CB40 success over Middlesex at Scarborough, taking 3-28 off his eight overs.

Samit Patel, in third, has already eclipsed last year's points total of 477 from 42 matches, which was enough to claim seventh.

He has 498 FTI MVP points from 39 matches, which leaves him 31 points adrift of Rashid in third.

Nottinghamshire have a game in hand on Yorkshire in the championship, which could prove crucial in the FTI MVP run-in.

Patel has scored 1,319 runs and taken 46 wickets, 488 and 20 of which have come in the championship. He is ranked second in the CB40 FTI MVP having finished third in the FPt20 FTI MVP.

Alfonso Thomas is 11 points further back in fourth with Trescothick, his county captain, breathing down his neck three points behind.

Thomas has taken 90 wickets across all forms, 42 coming in the LV=CC, 33 in the FPt20 and 15 in the CB40. This week he kept up the pressure on the leaders with 4-44 in Essex's first innings at Colchester in the LV=CC.

Sean Ervine in sixth and James Hildreth in seventh are also in contention for the FTI MVP title, but at 70 and 74 points back respectively they will have to have tremendous finishes to their already fine seasons.

Jacques Rudolph, meanwhile, will take some catching in the CB40 FTI MVP having opened up a 36-point lead.

The South African notched his third century of the campaign this week against Middlesex and he can also boast three 80s.

He has scored 642 runs in the competition and 2,079 across all cricket.