I'm sure someone can tell me, why do we have bonus points? I can understand 4 day games having them as there are quite a few draws but in a one day game you are just playing to win. If it is rained off it is just a case of sharing the points.
I don't really understand how bonus points promote good cricket. I have played in a number of games where the oppo know they aren't going to get the runs so they just block for an hour or so to deny us points and scrape a few for themselves.
In draw cricket they are important I feel, if the match is a lost cause why should you just roll over and let the oppo run through you? Scrapping away to try and get as many bonus points as possible is of course not as enjoyable as winning, but it helps to promote discipline and patience from both sides.
The league I play in moved to win/loss 50 overs a side a couple of years ago. It is 25 points for a win, with a maximum of 15 bonus points if you lose the game. If you win and bowl the opposition out (regardless of whether you field first or second) you get an additional 5 points.
I do not understand the award of bonus points to the winners of a game, aside from our leagues little nod towards our previous rules where when bowling second you had to bowl the team out or it would be a draw.