The 18 first-class counties currently compete in four separate competitions throughout the summer, with each team allowed to field one overseas player in each match.
COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
LV County Championship - 18 clubs split into two divisions of nine.
All matches are played over four days and are two innings per side, with teams playing each other home and away.
A team is awarded 14 points for a win, with each side earning seven points for a tie and four each for a drawn match.
If the scores are level in a drawn match, the side batting in the fourth innings will score seven points with the opposing side picking up four points.
Teams can also earn bonus points, regardless of the result, for performances in the first 120 overs of each first innings.
Bonus points are awarded as follows:
Batting
200 - 249 runs: 1 point
250 - 299 runs: 2 points
300 - 349 runs: 3 points
350 - 399 runs: 4 points
400 runs or over: 5 points
Bowling
3 to 5 wickets taken: 1 point
6 to 8 wickets taken: 2 points
9 to 10 wickets taken: 3 points
If a match is abandoned without a ball being bowled, then each side is awarded four points.
Teams can also be deducted points for not bowling their overs at the required rate (16 overs per hour).
For each over below the required rate, teams will be deducted one point from their Championship total - one point for one over, two points for two overs, etc.
The team with the most points in Division One at the end of the season will win the County Championship, with teams level on points being separated by number of wins.
Promotion and relegation: The bottom two teams in Division One are relegated and replaced by the top two teams in Division Two.
INTERNET LINK: Full County Championship regulations (ecb.co.uk)
FRIENDS PROVIDENT TROPHY
Friends Provident Trophy - 20-team (18 counties plus Ireland and Scotland) tournament with matches played over 50 overs per side.
Teams are split into four groups of five, with all sides playing each other home and away.
Teams are awarded two points for a win with both sides being awarded one point for a tied game or a no result. In the group stages, a tied game is deemed to be with both sides have the same score, regardless of the number of wickets lost.
The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarter-finals, with the side finishing top of the group being guaranteed a home draw. Should two or more teams finish level on points then they will be separated by number of wins followed by results in matches between the teams.
In the event of a tie in the knockout stages, the team having lost fewer wickets shall be declared the winner. If both teams have lost the same number of wickets, then the team who had the higher score after 15 overs shall be declared the winner.
In all matches, no bowler may may bowl more than one fifth of the overs in an innings.
Fielding restrictions apply for a 15-over Powerplay period at the beginning of each innings, and for a further two five-over Powerplay periods, one chosen by the fielding side and one by the batting side.
In a rain-interrupted match, the number of overs available to each side may be reduced and the Duckworth/Lewis method used to determine the result.
INTERNET LINK: Full Friends Provident Trophy regulations (ecb.co.uk)
THE TWENTY20 CUP
The Twenty20 Cup - 18-team tournament with matches played over 20 overs per side.
The 18 counties are split into three regional groups of six teams and play each other home and away.
Teams are awarded two points for a win with both sides being awarded one point for a tied game or a no result. In the group stages, a tied game is deemed to be with both sides have the same score, regardless of the number of wickets lost.
The top two teams in each group plus the two best runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals, with the top teams and best second-placed team being guaranteed a home draw. Should two teams finish level on points then they will be separated according to which team achieved most points in the matches played between them.
In the event of a tie in the knockout stages, the team having lost fewer wickets shall be declared the winner. If both teams have lost the same number of wickets, then the team who had the higher score after six overs shall be declared the winner.
In all matches, no bowler may may bowl more than one fifth of the overs in an innings.
Fielding restrictions also apply for a six-over Powerplay period at the beginning of each innings.
In a rain-interrupted match, the number of overs available to each side may be reduced and the Duckworth/Lewis method used to determine the result.
INTERNET LINK: Full Twenty20 Cup rules & regulations (ecb.co.uk)
PRO40
NatWest Pro40 - 18 counties split into two divisions of nine.
Matches played over 40 overs per side, with each team playing the other teams in its division once.
Teams are awarded two points for a win with both sides being awarded one point for a tied game or a no result.
In the event of a tie , no account shall be taken of the wickets lost by each team.
In all matches, no bowler may may bowl more than one fifth of the overs in an innings.
Fielding restrictions apply for a 15-over Powerplay period at the beginning of each innings.
In a rain-interrupted match, the number of overs available to each side may be reduced and the Duckworth/Lewis method used to determine the result.
The team with the most points in Division One at the end of the season will win the Pro40 league, with teams level on points being separated by number of wins.
2009 is the final season of the Pro40 competition.
INTERNET LINK: Full Pro40 rules and regulations (ecb.co.uk)
RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
England & Wales Cricket Board
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