Compared to other sports practiced all around the world, cricket is particularly unique. It differs from football or hockey, where scoring a goal is crucial to winning. It is not at all like basketball, in which you must put the ball into the basket to score points. The game of cricket is far more intricate and involves numerous intricacies. Twenty-20, ODI, & Test Cricket are the three different forms of the game with varying time limits. There are numerous varieties of cricket balls used in each format.
If the general environment is favorable, each of these ball kinds affects the game differently. Let’s examine the many cricket balls used worldwide, from backyard cricket to world cricket.
Initial Cricket Balls
In 1856, the world’s largest 1st leather ball was launched. The ball was hefty due to the hard cork that made up its core. The original cricket balls were known as Dukes and were produced by the British Cricket Balls Limited. After World War 2, Duke balls have fallen out of favor in Australia, and the Thompson family-owned company Kookaburra won a contract with the Australian Cricket Board. Relative to their red balls, Kookaburra’s white balls became more prevalent on the market. Today, they are the world’s largest producer of cricket balls.
Further, let us discuss the different types of cricket balls.
The Red Cricket Balls
Cricket balls come in a variety of colors, but red is the most popular. Before the requirement to play cricket sometimes at night, a conventional cricket ball has always been considered to be red. Despite this, the “red cherry” is utilized in the Test series and the first-class matches throughout the world, though not necessarily by the same supplier.
A Duke Ball is used during the games between the West Indies and England. This ball is manufactured specifically to fit the circumstances in England, and the red color is a little darker in tone. The seam of the ball is still vertical despite several overs, and the ball spins till about the 50th over. This explains why, during the 80 overs that it is used in England, the red ball rivets effectively.
The White Cricket Balls
Because it would be challenging for the batters to spot the red ball underneath the spotlights with players wearing colored clothes, the white ball was adopted. Yet, as they began by using the white ball, it became clear that, in contrast to the red ball that doesn’t degrade and is suitable for 80 overs, it offers far greater spin in the early going of the game but can degrade very quickly. Starting in 2012, two balls out of each end are employed in the inning.
This implies that the ball a batter is confronting there in 46th over has been only used mostly for 22–23 overs. Despite said that the original producers of the white ball known as the Kookaburra balls are the only balls used during white-ball cricket worldwide. A unique white ball was used in the 1999, Cricket World Cup held in England, however, it was discovered that it swung excessively. It hasn’t been utilized since then.
The Pink Cricket Balls
To play the first Test matches indoors, the pink ball was introduced in the 2000s. Now, it’s critical to comprehend how and why this demand evolved. White balls couldn’t be used in this manner since they wouldn’t last about 80 overs and would fast degrade. Moreover, it would be challenging to identify it with cricketers wearing white apparel. Before, playing with the red balls under lights was frowned upon. At this point, the world of cricket banded together to find a solution. Yellow and orange balls were utilized to test whether or not other colors might be employed. The pink ball, however, was discovered to be the ideal for day-night matches. In Australia and other nations where it had previously supplied red balls, Kookaburra once more came in as the top producer for matches.
These three types of balls play a vital role in distinguishing the various cricket tournaments. They all not only differ in color but also in the motives of being used.