New Zealand's cricketers will be able to more accurately gauge their value to their team with the introduction of an individual points system across the three domestic competitions this season.
The MVP - or Most Valuable Player - was introduced to English county cricket last year and hasproved popular. It was launched in Auckland yesterday and points will be accrued over the State championship, shield and Twenty20 competitions for each catch, wicket and run.
There are measures within the calculations to reward players for elements of their performance, with different computations for the various forms of cricket.
For example, bowlers will get more points for dismissing higher order batsmen than tail-end charlies; batsmen who score more than 30 per cent of their team's runs get extra points; fielders who provide "assists" to run outs are rewarded.
Winning teams get a bonus, and successful captains also pick up extra points.
There is no financial reward for the top achievers. New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said it could be a handy aid for the national selectors.
Auckland allrounder Paul Hitchcock believes the system will be particularly beneficial to younger players.
"The great thing is it gives young players an understanding of what it takes to win the game," he said. "It's a great way to measure yourself against others."
Northern Districts wicketkeeper Peter McGlashan said it was good to have a system which people could follow, rather than a Duckworth Lewis-type concept, used to formulate rain-affected run chases, and incomprehensible to most.
"It will create a buzz and that's got to be good for the game," he said. Regular updates will be released throughout the season.
