Australia's interstate limited-over competition, known since 1992-93 as the Mercantile Mutual Cup, has, over the years, been the nursery for a large number of innovations and experiments. Some have lasted (coloured shirts at state level, numbers on players backs), some have not (remember Merv Hughes bowling in shorts?). Some (twelve players a side, eleven batting and eleven fielding) are slowly filtering their way to wider acceptance.

As the 32nd season of interstate one-day cricket begins today, with the Queensland Bulls playing the Southern Redbacks at Allan Border Field, Brisbane, the Mercantile Mutual Cup brings to the world a number of new playing conditions, introduced, as the official blurb says, "in an attempt to encourage positive and entertaining cricket".

With the number of competition points on offer for a win doubled to four, wnning teams can capture a fifth point if they achieve a run-rate 1.25 times that of the opposition.

For example, if team A scores X amount of runs in 50 overs, then team B will have to score X+1 runs in 40 overs or less to earn their bonus point.

Likewise, the team batting first can earn the fifth point if they win the match with a 25 per cent better run rate than the team batting second, either by restricting their scoring, or by dismissing them in 40 overs or less (presuming a full 50-overs game).

This concept appears to be based on the rule used in some soccer and rugby competitions where bonus points are awarded if a team wins by a high margin.

The other major innovation in this year's playing conditions is sure to raise a lot of eyebrows. Any team that fails to bowl their full allocation of overs in time (normally 50 overs in 3.5 hours) will incur a penalty of six runs for each over they fall short of their target.

For example, in yesterday's game between Australia and India match in Kenya, Australia only bowled 45 overs in their allotted time. Hypothetically, if this playing condition were in force for the ICC KnockOut, Australia would have had 30 runs added to their target when it was their turn to bat.

Significantly, this rule also applies if the team bowling second fails to get through its overs in time. Current regulations in force in one-day cricket do not punish slow over rates by the team bowling second at all.

These changes come on top of the earlier off-season controversy surrounding the Mercantile Mutual Cup, when the Canberra Comets were cut from the competition to allow for an expanded series among the remaining six teams. Whereas in the past, seven teams played each other once to determine the semi-finalists, this season will see six teams play each other twice on a home and away basis, similar to the Pura Cup four-day competition.

Unlike past years, there are no semi-finals, the top two teams on the ladder advancing straight to the final.

All the other popular MMC idiosyncracies remain: the jackpot prize (between $10,000 and $250,000 Au) if a batsman hits one of eight Mercantile Mutual- logo-emblazoned signs on the boundary, and the smaller jackpot prize for the spectator who catches a ball hit for six.

The team that wins the Mercantile Mutual Cup final on February 25 will walk away with $75,000 ($US 40,000).

© CricInfo Ltd 2000