The Jones Plan

Pardon me for thinking the heading is an oxymoron but Dean Jones has proposed some interesting suggestions now that Cricket Australia has announced its intention to trial split innings in domestic one day games.

Read the The Jones Plan

Of course Jones goes further, as he often does but at least the static one day game is having more than its bells and whistles tinkered with. The problem has always been to bring incentive back to bowlers to take wickets rather than trying to be like well adjusted bowling machines who bowl on a line and length which might limit runs scoring. As soon as you take the kill away from a tiger he's unlikely to hunt.

Why not limit the batting in two split 25 over innings to the batsmen i.e only the top six can bat for their team. This way, the crowd gets to see the best batsmen bat. If five wickets are exhausted in twenty overs, so be it. The batting order starts again for the second 25 overs. This gives bowlers the incentive to take wickets and suddenly we have a contest again. No power plays and only two fielders outside the circle in the first twenty five and three in the second. A new ball for each 25 over innings. Don't alter the toss as even though its an act of chance, its part of the strategy of the game ... however, teams to be finalised after the toss so that both sides can put their best squad of batsmen and bowlers on the field according to conditions and when they will bat/bowl. Bowlers to bowl a maximum of five overs per innings.

If the aim is to entertain the crowd, then all the bonuses are in that direction. They see the best batsmen bat - no wasted time in the last ten overs with tail enders - and the best bowlers bowl.

That's the Lango Plan.