The structure of the LIME Division 1 Championship has already come under review, and this time, it’s the controversial points system, which is the new target.
Players, officials, fans, and the media have bemoaned the points system in place for the Championship over the last few years.
It is clear that the Barbados Cricket Association has tweaked the point allocations over the last few years – but they still have not gotten it correct.
For the naysayers, the current points system is nothing magical, or new. It is borrowed from the English County Championship, where it has worked extremely well for years now.
Teams and players in England have also tried to “game” the system, like some in Barbados, and administrators there have also had to revise it to make it airtight.
So there is nothing inherently wrong with the system, except that the BCA has copied it – and have done a poor job of implementation, as they have catered to the whims and the fancies of blinkered club officials, players, fans, and of course, us, the ultra-critical media.
To give a bit of background, the batting and bowling points system introduced by English cricket officials way back in 1968 to challenge teams to play more competitively and, indeed, attractively to fight for a win.
Back then, teams were given bonus points for their batting and bowling performance over the first 85 overs of each first innings. For batting, one point for each 25 runs above 150 scored, and for bowling, one point for each two wickets taken.
The English points system has undergone a series of reviews at the end of almost every season, so the BCA should not be too concerned that they have not settled on the right formula yet.
Following an ECB board meeting two Decembers ago, it was decided that effective from the start of the 2010 season, teams will receive 16 points for a win and three points each for a draw.
Bonus points remain unchanged (a maximum of three batting points and three bowling points available during each side’s first innings), but the threshold for achieving them was reduced to 110 overs from 120 overs two years ago.
This now brings us to the present, and with this understanding, the BCA should consider revising the current points system in Division 1 – again.
Though the points system in England is described as a “bonus points system”, it should not be misconstrued in this way in Barbados.
Instead, it should be viewed as a straight means to an end – to determine first innings points – and that’s it!
In fact, the points earned from the victory should really be contextualised as “bonus point”, since they are essentially awarded in addition to whatever earned over the course of the first innings.
As a result, the BCA should be advised that there is no need to allocate the 3-and-1 for first innings lead, as was done under the old points system.
This is defeating the whole purpose of establishing a first innings points system in the first place (pardon the pun and repetition), since teams have shown a willingness to settle for batting and bowling points, plus three first innings points, rather than push for an outright victory.
Another reason for the new points system was to eliminate the draw as much as possible without taking it completely out of the game, ensuring a far more competitive and attractive competition.
Keeping the 3-and-1 helps to keep the draw as a respectable result, and also creates the anomaly of some teams benefitting from getting more points than their opponents when they have lost, as happened last season.
It is recommended that the English version of allocating the same number of points to both teams when a match has ended in a draw is more balanced and fair.
Remember, the main aim of the introduction of this points system by administrators was to see higher levels of scoring by our teams, so the emphasis should be placed on runs scored, rather than wickets taken, since we have all accepted that teams are being dismissed too cheaply in the competition in recent times.
The BCA, therefore, should continue to award eight points through batting and bowling points, but they need to add a little twist to get the desired result, and make the system far more balanced.
It is, therefore, being recommended that they adopt the attached points system for next season’s Division 1 championship.
This should bring far greater clarity and parity to the batting and bowling point allocations, and make the Division 1 championship far more competitive.
REVISED DIVISION 1 POINTS SYSTEM
Proposed by Adriel “Woody” Richard
a. Where a match is completed, the winning team shall be awarded 8 points, plus any points scored in the first innings
b. Where a match is completed in equal scores, each team shall be awarded 4 points, plus any points scored in the first innings
c. Where a match is drawn, each team shall be awarded 2 points, plus any points scored in the first innings (see also paragraph f)
d. Where the scores are equal in a drawn match, the team batting in the fourth innings shall be awarded 4 points, plus any points scored in the first innings; and the team fielding in the fourth innings shall be awarded 2 points, plus any points scored in the first innings
e. First Innings Points (awarded only for performances in the first 75 overs of each first innings and retained whatever the result of the match):
(i) A maximum of five batting points to be awarded as follows:
2 points = 200 runs
3 points = 201-to-250 runs
4 points = 251-to-300 runs
5 points = 301 runs or more
(ii) A maximum of three bowling points to be awarded as follows:
2 points = 7-to-9 wickets taken
3 points = 10 wickets taken
For the avoidance of doubt, “wickets taken” shall relate exclusively to batsmen dismissed under Laws 30 to 39 inclusive and to batsmen retired out.
If penalty runs are awarded to a team which at that time had faced less than 75 overs in their first innings, or completed their first innings before they had faced 75 overs, those penalty runs will be considered as counting towards the total as far as the award of batting and bowling points is concerned.
If penalty runs are awarded to a team which had already faced 75 overs in their first innings, or had previously completed their first innings after they had faced 75 overs, those penalty runs will not be considered as counting towards the total as far as the award of batting and bowling points is concerned.
f. Where play starts with less than five hours of playing time remaining (in which event the first innings of each side shall automatically be forfeited and a one innings match shall be played), no first innings points shall be scored.
The side winning on the one innings shall be awarded 8 points. In a tie, each side shall be awarded 4 points. In a drawn match, each side shall be awarded 2 points. If the scores are equal in a drawn match, the side batting in the second innings shall be awarded 4 points and the opposing side shall be awarded 2 points.
g. Where a match abandoned without a ball being bowled, each side shall be awarded 2 points
h. The team which has the highest aggregate of points gained at the end of the season shall be the Division 1 club champions. Should any sides in the Championship table be equal on points, the following tie-breakers will be applied in the order stated: most wins, fewest losses, team achieving most points in contests between teams level on points, most wickets taken, most runs scored.
