Tens of millions of people play cricket worldwide. While not as widespread as football, cricket boasts hundreds of millions of fans from Scotland to New Zealand. Cricket has perhaps more focus than any other sport on the ball itself, as a result, some people want to better understand everything there is to know about the cricket ball.
Whether watching a local club match or weighing up your cricket betting picks, you are likely to hear about the condition of the ball. Broadcasters will often discuss the different brands, too, and how their characteristics can impact the play, particularly over five days of a Test match.
Technology has had a major impact on cricket equipment. Helmets changed the game. The ball itself has not changed all that much over the decades, but the rules around what can and can’t be done to the ball have.
Read below for our guide to cricket balls, covering their size, weigh and how they are made.
Size
Like in other sports, the size of the cricket ball used depends on the age and gender of the people playing. For men and boys over 13, the ball is 8.81 to nine inches in circumference. This is the largest a cricket ball will be.
Women and girls over 13 will use a ball between 8.25 and 8.88 inches in circumference. Children under 13 playing hard-ball cricket will use a smaller ball, coming in at a circumference of 8.06 to 8.69 inches.
Younger children will often play soft-ball cricket, which will use a plastic Kwik-Cricket ball.
Weight
The weight of the ball naturally changes depending on the size. Men and boys 13 and over use a cricket ball weighing between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces.
Girls 13 and over and women use a cricket ball between 4.94 and 5.31 ounces. Children under 13 see some overlap with women’s cricket balls – theirs will weigh in the 4.69 to 5.06 ounce range.
There are minor variations in the weight of cricket balls, which can be a factor bowlers are looking for when choosing a new ball. A ball that ‘feels’ lighter will often be preferable.
In red-ball cricket, opening bowlers will also prefer a darker ball as some people believe that provides more swing movement.
Materials & How Cricket Balls Are Made
Cricket balls have a core of cork. This is then layered with tightly wrapped string. There is a leather case with a sewn seam that is raised. How much the seam is raised will depend on the specific ball and the manufacturer.
There are significant variations between how balls are made. This has a knock-on effect on how the ball behaves during matches. High-quality balls will generally have three seams either side of the main seam.
Kookaburra are one of the leading worldwide producers of cricket balls used at all levels.
Shannon Gill, the company’s Head of Communications, explained how the company is approaching their development.
“As Twenty20 cricket evolved and grew, Kookaburra thought there should be a way to create a ball specific to its needs rather than follow the traditional method of ball making that is used in Test cricket.
“A Test ball is designed to gradually deteriorate over 80 overs, this is an integral element to Test cricket. Twenty20 cricket has evolved quite differently; the ball is only needed for 20 overs and the action is more intense and explosive than Test cricket. This means gradual deterioration is not as big a factor, instead a ball that meets the demands of the power hitting game has been created.
“Given the rapid expansion of the T20 format and extra demand for more balls, the new technology allows Kookaburra to produce more balls and maintain production quality and consistency. This results in a more cost-effective ball for cricket boards and associations as the amount of Twenty20 cricket increases.”
Types of Cricket Ball
Cricket balls are traditionally red. Red balls are still predominantly used in Test and first-class cricket. Most club teams will use red balls.
The introduction of coloured clothing for limited-overs cricket matches saw the arrival of the white ball. While it deteriorates quicker, the white ball was first introduced to enable day-night matches when the red ball becomes harder to see. It has since become the staple for limited-overs professional cricket even for day matches.
The desire to play day-night Test cricket has seen the pink ball used at times in the 21st century. It is unclear how much of a future day-night Tests have but there are clearly some benefits to using the pink ball.
Beyond the different colours, there are three leading manufacturers for cricket balls used in international matches.
Dukes, Kookaburra and SG are the balls you will see in international matches. Dukes balls tend to provide more lateral movement for quick bowlers, while the Kookaburra usually deteriorates quickly.
Some domestic competitions will use other brands. The change in the balls used is one of the many challenges for teams when they play abroad, and a constant factor to be aware of when analysing the sports betting markets.
Conditions
The rules for replacing a cricket ball will vary on the format. A new ball is received by the bowling team at the start of each innings in Tests and T20s. ODIs see a new ball used from each end for each innings.
If an innings reaches 80 overs in Test cricket, the bowling team have the opportunity to take a new ball. The only circumstances for a ball to be changed are when it has been lost, damaged or if it has been illegally altered by a player.
Players cannot scuff the ball, rub it on the ground, apply any substance other than sweat, or pick at the seam. In recent years, it became illegal to apply saliva to the ball.
Teams will often have specific fielders designated to look after the ball. These people, often located at one of the prominent cricket fielding positions, will work on shining the ball to aid swing.
Cricket Ball vs Baseball
The rules of cricket might be very different to baseball, but the balls are similar. Like cricket balls, baseballs have a core usually made of cork (although rubber is sometimes used).
Baseballs are between five and 5.25 ounces, which is around the range of a women’s cricket ball. The size – 9 to 9.25 inches circumference – is slightly bigger than a men’s cricket ball.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
