Cricket occupies an important position in the world of games. It is one sport that has been receiving a lot of attention over the last several decades. A cricket ball that has been hit as a sixer during a match is something that is almost legendary to the person who manages to get hold of it in the stands. While the United Kingdom was known for their role in the development of cricket as a game, many countries have fans who would vouch for the game of cricket. The game of cricket has become an essential part of world games, and many nations’ across the world have cricket teams that are second to none. The craze for cricket is something that fans simply can’t get over. Even a cricket match telecast on TV is something many people look forward to. When it comes to the game of cricket, the cricket ball and the cricket bat is the most vital parts of the game. There is no doubt that cricket bats are being changed in terms of style and shape over several decades. The cricket ball, however, has not changed much since its invention.
If we were to look at how a cricket ball is made, it can be seen that a cricket ball is manufactured from strips of cork and a string that is wound tightly around it. This is covered all over in a case made of leather and has seams that protrude slightly. The cricket ball has an outer layer which is covered using the best quality leather, and every cricket ball usually has six stitches, with three on each side. The seam has to be rotated by 90 degrees so that the cricket ball will have a uniform shape. Usually, Test cricket uses the typical red ball. There hasn’t been much change in the dimensions as well as the weight of the cricket ball, but there has been a change in its color, to suit the needs of today’s cricket standards.
Various Types Of Cricket Balls
While cricket balls (especially test cricket) are typically red, white coloured cricket balls started being used since the late 70s, during the World Series. Cricket balls have several manufacturers. Depending on the location of the match, there are different manufacturers for Test cricket balls. While the cricket balls used in Test cricket are all dark red in colour and round in shape, the manufacturer depends upon the location. For test matches, three elementary balls used, namely
· The Kookaburra (Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa)
· The Duke (United Kingdom)
· The SG (India).
In matches with limited overs, Kookaburra balls are usually used regardless of the location. While different countries have their preferences, there is no one standard ball in the game of cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has not decided on one particular type of cricket ball; therefore no specific ball is standardised by it for playing cricket matches. Moreover, each of these three types of cricket ball has its own advantages and disadvantages.