Williams, bonus points to feature in VB Series opener

Fast bowler Brad Williams and the use of bonus points will feature in an Australian one-day international for the first time when the home team takes on New Zealand in the opening match of the VB Series tomorrow.

Williams, the blond-headed speedster from Western Australia, will figure as part of a three-pronged Australian pace attack in a match likely to be contested on a fast and bouncy pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The 27-year-old was named in the Australian squad for the two closing matches of the recently-completed Test series against South Africa but did not win selection in the final eleven in either game.

His domestic career began in Melbourne seven years ago, when he was chosen as a 20-year-old and claimed five wickets in an innings for a Victorian team that played Queensland in a Sheffield Shield match.

Under the rotation policy that will ensure that each of the 14 players in the Australian squad will play at least one game through the opening stages of the series, Williams' debut appearance will give him the chance to complement Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee as part of a pace bowling trio.

Queenslanders Andy Bichel, Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds will be the three players rested.

And, while Williams makes his first foray into international cricket, so a bonus point system will be in operation for the opening time in a limited-overs international on Australian soil.

An additional point will be added to the four on offer for victory in each match of the VB Series in those situations where a team finishes a game with a run-rate that is at least 1.25 times higher than that of its opponent.

Designed to encourage attacking cricket, the incentive rewards sides batting second for overhauling targets quickly and sides bowling second for dismissing their opponents cheaply.

The use of bonus points in elite-level cricket is an Australian invention, having been pioneered in the Australian domestic one-day competition during the 2000-01 season.

The VB Series will represent the fourth international tournament in which bonus points have been employed following their adoption by the International Cricket Council four months ago.