Cricket is played with types of balls in cricket across the globe and it is a very different game unlike football, hockey, and basketball. This is because cricket has a lot of technical aspects attached to it and is more complex when compared to other games.
Over the period cricket has evolved into three different forms. They are
• T20s played for 20 overs,
• ODIs played for 50 overs and
• Test cricket was played for 5 days.
All the above-mentioned forms of cricket use different balls when the game is played. The balls that are used impact the game that is played provided the other conditions are favorable. The difference in the type of balls is that some may support the spinners while other balls may help the fast bowlers. Also, the pitch used in any cricket match decides which bowlers will be efficient.
There are three important manufacturers of cricket balls across the world. They are
• Kookaburra
• Duke
• SG
Although there is a standard measure for the balls that are used in any match. The Marylebone Cricket Club (the MCC) approved the commitment to establish by the Laws of Cricket and maintained all the copyright acquired to itself.
Any cricket ball weighs between 155.9 and 163 grams and its circumference is between 22.4 and 22.9 centimeters is employed in Men’s cricket.
How many types of cricket balls are there?
There are various types of balls available in the market depending on the level of the match played.
International levels:
When a match is played on international levels then Red leather balls from kookaburra are used which are manufactured from Australia.
Dukes from England are also used since it seems to remain intact for a long time and helps seam bowlers.
Any international match held in India uses SG balls since they are shiny and the seam of the ball is very intact, which helps the spinners to turn the ball with good grip.
White leather balls were first used in the cricket match played under floodlights in 1977. Since the red ball wouldn’t be visible in the dark sky and it also camouflaged with the coloured jerseys.
The Pink leather ball was first designed and used in the year 2015 as the normal red ball wasn’t visible in the floodlights during night time.
Training levels:
Professional training includes various types of balls depending on the practice involved.
Synthetic cricket types of balls are used by professional cricket training institutes for the beginner level. The seam is made of synthetic material and it is lighter than other balls used in international matches.
Hockey balls are used by the training institutes for their trainees to improve the strokes of the new bat.
Cork balls look similar to the leather ball used in the training institutes to flavours the batsman.
Gully levels :
Gully level cricket is played using the sponge balls, rubber balls, tennis balls and plastic balls by the kids and youngsters in the streets.
What is the best type of cricket ball?
Even though there are numerous types of balls, the kookaburra balls are the best type of balls to play with. The red balls are used by
Ashes series since 1946 by the cricket board of Australia. This has been manufactured for 128 years. These balls are made of fine raw materials combining technological precision with traditions of cricket they are mostly made by machines. These balls are used in all international T20 matches, one day matches. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka use this ball for its best features.
Which ball is used in test cricket?
Test cricket is played for five days and at present there are three important types of balls used. They are Kookaburra, Dukes and SG.
The Red kookaburra weighs about 156 gms with a four piece material.
Dukes was originally designed in Tonbridge,1760. These are manufactured in the United Kingdom. They are handmade with excellent quality so it lasted for a longer period of time. Dukes lasts up to 50-60 overs and provides good swing.
SG denotes Sanspareils Greenlands Balls, used to manufacture sports goods. After our Independence SG moved to Meerut. SG balls are handmade and thick threads are used to make these balls that have wider seams. These balls are helpful for spinners but the shine goes off in India because of the dry conditions. SG balls are widely used in India while playing test matches.
Different Types of Balls color in Cricket
There are different types of balls used in cricket. They are Red, white and pink. The Red cricket ball is widely used during the test matches.
The white cricket ball is used in ODIs and T20 matches. Many analyses have been performed by enthusiasts based on the colour of the ball and decision was made on which one to be used during a play.
The pink balls swing more than the other two that give more advantage for the bowlers. Extra coating is applied for the pink ball to make it bright and quite visible during the night play. They endure more wear and tear when compared to other two.
Why are there different colors in a cricket ball?
There are three different colours and types of balls based on various research by enthusiasts according to the visibility. The red balls were initially used in all matches but it affected the visibility during long hours of play. So white balls were introduced that were accepted by a wide range of audience since they had a better view of the game.
White balls are polished more than the red ones and the shine comes from the coat of polishes that are used. This smoothness removes a lot of resistance from the red ball and swings more.
The pink and red types of balls are manufactured almost in the same manner and there are no differences in the stitching process or its core components. The seams of the balls are the same with more firmness and they are pronounced.
