Northants skipper Luke Procter backs change to Championship points system

The England & Wales Cricket Board have announced the tweaks to the rewards on offer this summer, with the main change being only five points will be given for a draw, instead of eight.

The batting bonus points system has also been altered, with teams needing 250 to earn their first instead of 200, and to get the maximum five they must reach 450 inside 110 overs in the first innings.

The change has been made off the back of the England team's hugely positive approach to Test cricket, with 'Bazball' taking the world by storm under coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes.

Procter has welcomed the move by the ECB, and admits the changes are definitely going to spark discussions in the Northants dressing room about how they approach their red ball cricket from now on.

The County are certainly in a good place having finished an impressive sixth in the LV= County Championship Division One last season, their best final placing since 1995.

But it came off the back of just two wins and seven draws in 14 matches, and the County’s new captain admits he and his team may have to think about going for the throat a bit more if they are to reach their goals in 2023.

"I think it is going to be that teams are going to go for more wins, so we are going to have to be a bit more positive with the way we play," said Procter.

"We had two wins and a lot of draws, so those draws might not be worth so much when it comes to the prospect of staying up or down, so I think we will have to go for the wins.

"It is something that will work all through the game, and if we are looking for a win then we are going to have to be positive from ball one.

"Obviously there has to be a stable base, but then be positive from that."