Cricket Australia will "trial changes to the Sheffield Shield point system in the hope of setting up more results and more closely aligning the four day game with Test match conditions," according to Peter Lalor of THE AUSTRALIAN. Under the existing rules a side was "awarded two points for a first innings win and six points for outright victory." First innings points have "now been abolished and now the batting side stands to earn .01 points for every run scored above 200 in the first 100 overs of the innings." If a side "scored 400 in 100 overs, for example, it would earn two bonus points." There are "also points for a draw." The system is "similar to a bonus points system" used from '71-81 where the batting side could earn a "maximum of 10 bonus points that were awarded for every 25 runs from 175 to 400." CA High Performance Manager Pat Howard said that the system had been devised to "provide state players with international standards." Howard: "The Australian team performance review asked us to look at ways to improve and that’s what we’re doing; we want to mirror the style international cricket is played and see results" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 6/3).
