Anderson leads the way

4 August 2008

James Anderson's three wickets at Edgbaston keep him top of the England MVP

James Anderson continues to set the pace in the race for this season’s England MVP.

The seamer’s 3-72 return in South Africa’s first innings in the third npower Test at Edgbaston took his tally for the summer to 36 wickets, 29 of which have come in the Test arena.

Stuart Broad retains second place despite not featuring in the five-wicket defeat, while new captain Kevin Pietersen is ranked third after hitting a splendid 94 in the second innings.

Ryan Sidebottom occupies fourth spot – he took 3-81 in the first innings – while Ian Bell’s match tally of 70 runs sees him claim fifth place.

Paul Collingwood’s sterling second-innings 135, which helped set up the prospect of an unlikely England victory, climbs to sixth in the MVP.