Points table

The points table is the league standings: teams ranked by points, with net run rate as the usual tiebreaker.

In almost every T20 and one-day league a win is worth two points, a tie or a no result one, and a defeat nothing. Because points come in such coarse steps, several teams often finish level, and the table then falls back on net run rate, sometimes after counting wins first. That is why margins matter as much as results: a win by 60 runs and a scrambled last-ball win are worth the same two points but very different run rate.

Reading the table well is a management skill. Early in the season it tells you little. From the halfway point, it tells you how many wins you probably need for the playoffs, which games are must-wins, and whether you should be chasing a target quickly to protect your run rate or simply making sure you get over the line.

In Masterstroke: the standings show played, won, points and net run rate, plus recent form, so you can see the shape of the season at a glance.