Significant changes to playing conditions in Tests and One-Day International have been announced by the International Cricket Council and they took effect on Saturday.

Most affected are efforts to ensure continuity of play and the awarding of extras.

No longer will there be debate between competing countries over the use of lights on the occasion of bad light affecting play.

Lights will now be mandatory to allow play to continue in conditions when natural light would prevent it. The umpires will have the discretion to call for lights.

Time added on after stoppages can now be extended beyond the day of play in Test matches, although limited to one hour a day. Where conditions allow the first 30 minutes will be added before the scheduled start of the first session with the remainder at the end of the day.

All five run penalties for disciplinary breaches will be awarded on the field of play. This will be for a trial period of 12 months and will apply to Tests and ODIs.

A no-ball penalty will also apply to short-pitched deliveries that prevent the batsman from being able to hit them with the bat by a normal cricket stroke. The existing two bouncers per over rule will be maintained.

Leg-side wides, including deliveries going down the leg side when bowled into the rough outside leg stump, will now be called.

The move reflects an ICC desire to encourage attacking bowling, particularly by spinners seeking to exploit the rough, but the ICC also believes that umpires should be able to use judgment in calling wides when appropriate.

As was earlier announced one bouncer per over will now be permissible in One-Day Internationals.

Bonus points for tournaments and series involving three or more teams will now be awarded to provide more meaning to contests. Winning teams will receive four points with a tie or no result being worth two points.

One bonus point will be available should a team win with a run rate 1.25 times that of the opposition. The run rate will be calculated by reference to the number of runs scored, divided by the number of overs faced.

Where a side is all out, the number of overs to be used is the maxium number of overs available to that side.

When the Duckworth/Lewis system is employed, bonus run rates and defensive targets will be based on the revised target score and maximum overs.

© CricInfo