The points system has changed several times over the years in the Sussex Cricket League but the type of game played at Premier League level is now dictated by the ECB.

The current system has been designed to provide a good competitive game with clubs fairly rewarded for their efforts.

Premier League matches must allow for a minimum of 120 overs and the current format also has to cater for a requirement of 17 overs to the hour.

This has caused concern in some quarters and last weekend Crowborough suffered a five points penalty and Hastings were deducted two points because they failed to hit the required target.

The call of "Last Twenty Overs" no longer applies in the League, either at Premier or Second Division level. Teams simply have to complete a prescribed number of overs by a pre-determined cut-off point.

Premier League teams have generally adapted well to a format that is similar to that played in the old all-day friendly games with the match starting at 11.30 and finishing at 7.30.

A lunch and tea break is taken in such games and there is, of course, the ten minute break between innings but the easiest way for everyone to follow the course of their game and to avoid over-rate penalties is to recognise targets.

Clubs in Division Two and the 2nd XI competition are now finding it hard to adjust to keeping their overs ticking over.

A normal game in the Premier League brings about an innings closure after 65 overs, leaving the team batting second a minimum of 55 overs in which to chase the runs.

Some people have wondered why teams simply do not play a straight limited overs game.

Apart from the fact that the ECB Premier accreditation does not allow this there is the belief that the game should be more about taking wickets than restricting runs and so the taking of wickets is rewarded with the points system.

Part of this is the reason for the lesser number of overs for the side batting second.

This is in the belief that the tougher the target in terms of runs per over the more likely it will be that a team loses wickets. This hopefully creates a runs and time target to challenge the batting side and, at the same time, give the fielding side a chance of outright victory.

Last season second division matches frequently saw a total imbalance in the overs due mainly to a slow rate. The team batting first was allowed to bat for up to 54 overs without losing batting points and when the bowling of these sometimes took over three hours the run chase could see a team left around 38 overs.

This has now been rectifed. The 54 overs still applies but they have to be bowled inside three hours and ten minutes. The side batting second then has at least 46 overs and these have to be completed by around 7.30. Games must have a minimum of 100 overs available.

Matches now no longer drag towards 8.15 and there is generally a great deal more urgency about things.

The skill of a declaration and a runs/time target has been a facet of club cricket for as long as it has been played.

Some of the younger captains who have been fed on a diet of limited over cricket at school and in county junior squads have yet to develop the skill which may, on occasions, need to be adapted to feed some runs in order to give their own side a chance of victory.

Last weekend's points deductions could well cost the clubs concerned dearly in the weeks to come but the captains concerned will be addressing things this weekend to prevent it happening again.

Over-rates have decreased over the years and players have become accustomed to taking far too long in setting fields. The situation has not been helped by the carrying of helmets and drinks between pavilion and pitch becoming regular traffic.

Good pitches for good players to hone their skills is all part of the ECB strategy. Judging by the improved quality of playing pitches generally for senior club cricket in Sussex that is, in part, working.

Some clubs still must improve their playing surfaces even more. Spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on a pavilion bar and social facilities may make a club an enjoyable place to be but it will not improve cricketing standards.

At Horsham last week more than 600 runs were scored in 120 overs of league cricket. With Hastings providing similar conditions, the county's top two clubs are showing the way. Many of us hope it will be a target towards which others should strive.