Lukewarm reaction to bonus-points change

8:19pm Friday 26th September 2008

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A common theme around the grounds of the JCT600 Bradford League for the past three seasons has been the relative unfairness of the bonus-point system.

It rewards scoring runs and taking wickets but can penal-ise a side that bowls the opposition out cheaply before tea, thus denying the eventual victors the opportunity of scoring any batting points.

The winners in these circumstances generally gain 15 points (i.e 110 all out v 111-0).

However, a side with a lesser bowling attack can dismiss a team for 226 and take a maximum 20 points (five points more for a less convincing win) by knocking off the runs.

Clubs, seeing this anomaly, have put up revised rules for consideration at the league’s September meeting but for some reason they seem to get a lukewarm reaction.

This week, for example, Baildon proposed that any win will count as 20 points without any bonus points and that the losing team would keep any bonus points they gain.

This proposed rule change will go to the vote at November’s annual meeting but in a straw poll of club representatives and league officials on Thursday, only six voted for it and nine against.

Spen Victoria also proposed a rule change on championship points, which was seconded by Woodlands, the only difference being that in an incomplete or abandoned match each side should gain four points plus any bonus points (Baildon’s proposal was two points) but the straw poll on this was seven for, five against.

The extended season only finished a week ago but it seems that clubs have quickly forgotten one of their most common grievances.

Other rule changes that will go forward to the annual meeting are that fielding restrictions and leg-side wides be brought into first-team league matches.