The introduction of ‘power surge’ is among the three new rules introduced by Cricket Australia for the upcoming 10th edition of Big Bash League (BBL), starting from December 10.
This rule will enable the batting team to take a two-over power play at any stage in the second half of an innings where only two players will be allowed to field outside the inner-ring.
In order to accommodate this law, the power play in the start of each innings will be trimmed from six to four overs.
The other rule change includes ‘X-factor player,’ i.e. the 12th or 13th player in the team sheet can come into the game after the 10th over of the first innings and replace any player who is yet to bat or has bowled no more than one over.
The third and the last rule change involves a ‘bonus competition point’ and is termed as ‘bash boost’. According to it, there will now be four points available for winning a match – instead of the previous two – with three points available for the victory and the extra point being given to the team who is ahead on the comparison at the 10-over mark of the chase. If the scores of both sides are equal at ten overs than the point is split into two – 0.5 to each team.
Speaking on the development, Alistair Dobson, the Head of BBL, said: “The introduction of these new innovations is yet another reason why the KFC BBL 10 season is set up to be the most exciting in the League’s history.
“The Power Surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost prioritise scoring, exciting cricket, introduce new strategic angles and ensure there’s always something to play for throughout the entire match.
“We’re confident our fans will love what these innovations bring to the game as many of the world’s top T20 players, plus our next generation of Australian stars, bring them to life on the field.”
