Is the current points system killing off the competition?

This debate is now closed.

Speaking on BBC Five Live's Yorkshire Uncovered programme, Lehmann ticked off six sides in County Championship Division One who, he believes, play for draws.

Teams are currently awarded 12 points for a win and four for a draw, with extra bonus points for runs and wickets.

Lehmann has proposed six points for a win and two for a draw, and throwing out bonus points altogether.

Would a new scoring system make the league more competitive?

I think it should be scrapped, because the ultimate goal is to win, not to play for bonus points.
Suhan, UK

Scrap the bonus points; they're pointless. It's ridiculous that good performances are rewarded only in the first innings. Keep it simple: award four points for a win, two for a tie, one for a draw.

To differentiate between two sides in the table with equal points, use quotients like in the Pura Cup: a team batting average of 33 and bowling average of 29 would give a quotient of 1.138. This scheme would encourage aggressive cricket and reward good performances throughout the match.
Rob LeGrand, Texas, USA

As a cricket fan I am quite happy with the current points system - if there are people out there who can't be bothered learning the rules of the competition - tough! There are three other competitions that are very easy to understand - the Championship should retain its current system and keep its appeal to "true" fans.
Peter, UK

Under the current points system, it is possible to get the same number of points for drawing as winning. Scenario one: Team A 199 Team B 400-2d Team A 350 Team B 100. Team A wins by 50 runs and collects 12 points from the match.

Now look at this scenario: Scenario two: Team A: 500 (100ov) Team B: 400 (100ov) Team A: 200 Team B: 100-9 Even though Team B still need a further 201 runs to win, it collects 12 points (four for a draw, eight bonus) in a match it was almost certain to lose.

These scenarios may be hypothetical but similar matches occur more often than not. The current points system discriminates against sides whose bowlers are better than their batters, e.g. Derbyshire, and should be revamped as such: No bonus points. Loss: 0 points. Draw: eight points. Win: 16 points.
Alex Pickard, UK

Bonus points complicated? Well if you can't work them out you aren't trying very hard. As for Mark Cooper's comments - I think you'll find the present system is a little better than the old 18-team Championship where half the teams had nothing to play for from about mid-May.

There's actually been issues to be settled involving six or seven teams in the final week these last two seasons, including the NUL, if that's dull go and watch something else.
Andy, England

In last year's summer cricket season in Australia, we had it for the Tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa. New Zealand admitted to basically losing to knock Australia out of the one day finals series by fixing the bonus points. Teams can basically fix games; points need to be thrown out.
Jimmy Simms, Australia

I disagree with Lehmann. As long as three up three down is retained there is little margin for complacency from the mid-table teams. Furthermore, the ability to fight for a draw is a key facet of the game, and one which needs to be retained for those occasions where that is the best available result.

If Sri Lanka had not fought all the way in the last Test the excitement of the last hour would not have materialised. Yorkshire need to win games, not expect their opponents to give them results.
Bruce Hiscock, UK

Although I'm not entirely convinced by the current points scoring system, I don't think football style scores are the way to go. And by the way, I didn't hear Darren Lehman, or any other Yorkshire players, complaining about it last season!
TP, Leicestershire, England

It's time the whole scoring system was scrapped. The man in the street does not have a clue how the powers that be come up with the points as things are. It should be simplified, with a fixed amount of points for a win or a draw, and none for a losing side - just the same as football. The common punter would be able to follow the game much more easily. Or is that what they want to avoid?
Baz, UK

Darren Lehmann raises a good point, but there's another side to the problem of too many draws. Bonus points can only be scored in each team's first innings and it's this that leads to draws. If sessions are lost early on to rain or whatever then there isn't the facility for captains to forfeit the middle two of the four innings to shorten the match.

A sensible rule that should have been in place since bonus points were introduced would be to allow the team batting second to transfer the facility to score bonus points to their second innings, should they decide to forfeit their first innings. Again, it's the fact that both team's first inning have to be played that means matches often end in draws because there simply isn't time to fit in all four innings.
Don, Manchester, UK

I don't think there is anything wrong with the current system. Why shouldn't a team be awarded special bonus points if they totally destroy the opposition? Every team has the opportunity to do go for runs and I think it makes the game more exciting.
Natalie Jessup, Brighton

I have to say I agree with Lehmann. Cricket is a complicated enough sport without the addition of awarding bonus points. It is clear that some sort of re-vamp is necessary to entice crowds back to the grounds. Recent attendance figures show a real slump and such a move may help.
Debbie Shaw, Riddlesdown, England

Unfortunately, people have short memories. This was effectively the system a few years ago when there was 16 points for a win, plus eight maximum bonus points and nothing for a draw. This led to farcical "declaration bowling" as teams strove to produce a result at all costs. Do we really want to go back to that??
James Buckley, England

I don't have any interest in the fate of the County Championship, due in part to what seems an extremely complicated points system. The obvious answer is surely to make it as simple as possible. Dare I suggest three points for a win, one for draw, as in football.

You only need to look at the relegation battle in last year's Premiership to see that with this type of system a mid-table "comfort zone" does not occur until the last two weeks of the season so creating a greater interest in the sport - something which is severely lacking in cricket.
Colin Garside, UK

Darren Lehmann is right - unless you are currently challenging for promotion or relegation in the current set-up you enter the "comfort zone," and are content to play for draws. With only a handful of teams in each division in this category it means at least four teams in a Division have nothing to play for from July!
Mark Cooper, England

I believe that Darren Lehmann's comments are correct. The bonus system encourages negative cricket, and confuses would-be supporters of the game because it is difficult to follow - especially when deductions of half and quarter points come into play. Changing the system will help the game a great deal.
John, Yorkshire, UK