Nottinghamshire’s Jake Ball has been pipped to April’s Professional Cricketers’ Association’s Player of the Month award by Lancashire’s Tom Bailey after a tight public vote.

Ball, who has taken 21 wickets in his first three matches of the season, collected 36 per cent of the vote to Bailey’s 40 per cent, with the other two contenders, Ryan Higgins of Gloucestershire and Kent's Matt Henry, much further back.

Bailey gave his reaction after winning the poll on the PCA website and the Sky Sports online platforms, saying: “Winning this award is a first for me and I feel like I've been bowling pretty well.

“I feel like I've been bowling well for the last few years, but injuries have halted me getting in the team consistently. I have had an injury free start to the season and I've had the opportunity which has been massive for me.”

The PCA MVP Rankings is in its 12th season after being introduced in 2007. The 2018 campaign has seen the implementation of a Man of the Match for every county and England fixture this summer.

The 2018 Most Valuable Player Rankings video can be viewed on the PCA's YouTube channel. To view the full Most Valuable Player Rankings click here.

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