Draws in the 2023 County Championship have been downgraded to five points to encourage the attacking cricket of England’s Test team being replicated at domestic level.
For the previous two seasons, a draw has been worth eight points - the highest level in the first-class competition’s 133-year history.
Although Test captain Ben Stokes did not have a direct influence on the changes, the reduction follows recommendations by the high performance review and input from England managing director Rob Key and the performance director Mo Bobat at a meeting of directors of cricket and coaches in Burton last month.
It is hoped the alterations to this year’s regulations will incentivise captains to chase a 16-point victory haul - in the mould of Stokes - rather than settle for a draw.
Alongside it will be a new set of batting bonus points on the first 110 overs of first innings: the first point will now be awarded for scoring 250 runs rather than the previous 200, and teams must score 450 runs to secure a full set of five points, 50 runs more than in the past. Significantly, teams must score in excess of four runs per over to do so.
The ECB say they are looking for teams to bat longer and deeper into games, on well prepared pitches, with the focus on trying to win matches.
Research from 2022 showed that Championship games with positive results averaged 305 overs in length, equating to a finish on the fourth morning. A post-tea conclusion is the desired ending. Bonus points for bowling remain the same.
As previously reported by Sportsmail, this year’s Championship will feature Kookaburra balls for rounds nine and 10, a trial that is designed to encourage faster bowlers and spinners as the Australian-manufactured product does not swing and seam as much as the Dukes, its British rival.
The chosen period between June 25 and July 13 coincides with the Ashes and will see each of the competitions’ 18 teams play twice.
It is only two years since draws were boosted to eight from a previous record high of five, after then England captain Joe Root called for an overhaul of the scoring system that incentivised players to save matches, following the 3-1 away defeat in India.
The ECB are also contemplating lowering the threshold on punishing poor pitches as they look too drive standards up, but have yet to reach a conclusion on how to implement this.
Meanwhile, counties will be able to have four overseas players on their books at any one time, an increase from three.
Only two are permitted on the field in any one competition, but the expansion allows first-class and limited-overs specialists to be in squads at times when the Twenty20 and four-day schedules overlap.
