3 minute read

Set to be used for just the second time, the bonus-point system to determine the winner of a drawn Sheffield Shield final has rankled Usman Khawaja.

Usman Khawaja has described the Sheffield Shield's bonus-point system to decide a drawn final as "silly", declaring the hosts deserve an advantage they earned by finishing the year on top.

The Queensland Bulls will host the defending champions NSW Blues at Allan Border Field from Thursday, knowing they can't just bat their way to a ninth Shield title.

Gone are the days of the top-ranked hosts batting for as long as possible to secure a draw, which until 2019 had meant a win for the host team for nearly 40 years.

Under the new system, the batting side receives 0.01 points for every run scored beyond 200 in its first 100 overs of its first innings.

The bowling side receives 0.1 points for every wicket taken inside the first 100 overs of its opponent's first innings.

For it to come into play the match must last at least 270 overs and the rule is designed to discourage batting marathons that had become a feature of Shield finals played on batting-friendly wickets.

But the system also creates another way to manufacture a result that may not reflect the performance of the two sides, given runs and wickets scored outside those first 100 overs don't earn bonus points.

It means a team could still lose, despite building a huge first innings lead and needing just one wicket for an outright win when stumps are called on the fifth day.

"I'm not a big proponent of it. I think the advantage is gone for the team that's come first and the team that gets more bonus points in first innings can potentially win the game, which is a bit silly in my books," Khawaja said.

"But I do think this is going to be a result game (over) five days, so it's not a big issue because I think there will be a winner."

Four of the past seven Shield finals have ended in draws, while only six of the past 37 finals have been won by the side that finished second on the ladder.

The Bulls won their last title at Allan Border Field in 2018, chasing down the target in the final session of day five despite the entire first day being washed out.

"I don't mind it ... and from a fan's point of view there's been a few dull finals where the home team's batted for days on end," Blues skipper Kurtis Patterson said.

"That's probably not the most exciting product, so this makes both teams play positive cricket, like it does for the entire year."