County cricket: what can be done to reduce the number of draws?

Surrey were held to a draw by Essex at the Oval. Photograph: Philip Brown/Getty Images for Surrey CCCView image in fullscreenSurrey were held to a draw by Essex at the Oval. Photograph: Philip Brown/Getty Images for Surrey CCC99.94 cricket blogCounty ChampionshipCounty cricket: what can be done to reduce the number of draws?All four matches in Division One this week were drawn – and none of them came close to a positive result By the 99.94 Cricket BlogGary NaylorTue 28 Apr 2026 12.26 BSTLast modified on Tue 28 Apr 2026 12.29 BSTSharePrefer the Guardian on Google1. Draws are no drawTwo points are often, and justifiably, made about first-class cricket: that it is an extraordinarily rich environment for strategic and tactical complexity, and that captains have more influence over the shape of matches than in other sports. I could make a case for Grand Tour cycling, but will not push that argument hard.So, how do all four Division One matches – with little, if any, interference from weather – not just end in draws but come nowhere near a positive result? Of course, multiple factors create this perfect storm, from pitch preparation, the limited availability of players, to coaching and skills execution (why is reverse swing so rare these days?).This column has always believed that two elements loom too large in a captain’s mind when considering his options. First, the eight-point reward for a drawn game, particularly after harvesting a crop of first-innings bonus points, is very much worth defending. Rather than go back to five for the stalemate, as it was in 2023, maybe the winning team should pic up 20 points rather than 16. That is the objective after all.Second, disdain is still too readily heaped on the “contrived result” or “declaration bowling”, but is it really deserved? Is a 60-minute post-lunch thrash off long hops followed by a three-hour chase of 300 in 48 overs a better game for all than two sessions watching two set batters pad their averages as the fielding...