Standard Bank Cricket boosts player awards

Players who excel in South African one-day cricket are now earning beans for their efforts - bluebeans, the electronic reward token from Standard Bank's new online shopping and financial services brand, bluebean.com.

The bluebeans have considerably enhanced Standard Bank Cricket's player award programme, which rewards exceptional on-field performances in one-day provincial and international matches. Cricketers will from the start of the 2000/2001 season, in addition to the Standard Bank Cricket Award medals (previously called Accolade medals) also receive bluebeans.

The bluebeans have a monetary value and can be redeemed within the online shopping mall of bluebean.com. Players will be able to choose from a variety of retailers and merchants offering products such as jewellery, books, wine and sports goods.

The bluebeans will be awarded to players as follows:

• 50 000 bluebeans (R500) for every Standard Bank Cricket Award medal earned
• 2 000 bluebeans (R20) for each wicket, catch, stumping, run out, six and four
• 500 bluebeans (R5) for every run scored

Standard Bank Group Sponsorship Director Lyndon Barends says: "This is a significant boost for our player award programme. The players have always appreciated the medals and bluebeans should be a further incentive to excel. Cricketers will earn bluebeans in every match - provincial and international - they play. bluebeans will be awarded for matches already played in the Standard Bank Cup this season."

Standard Bank Cricket has also modified the criteria for awarding Standard Bank Cricket Award medals.

• Batting - scoring 100 runs or more; 50 runs or more with a strike rate of more than a run per ball
• Bowling - taking four or more wickets; a hat trick; an economy rate of less than two runs per over (minimum of six overs)
• Fielding - three or more dismissals
• Wicket keeping - five or more dismissals

bluebeans earned will be automatically credited after each match to the players' bluebean.com accounts.