Different kinds of balls used in Cricket

How often have we seen batsmen struggling to play the moving ball in England or the one that turns square in the subcontinent? The pitch plays its role for sure, but have we really thought about the different ball manufacturers that help it to have a specific degree of swing or spin.

Yes, you heard it right. The ball used matters a lot in different conditions. A cricket ball is made up of cork covered by leather regulated by the laws of ICC. The cork is used for durability and bounce. The cork is covered with layers of string which are tightly wound.

Usually, four pieces of leather are used in making the ball. The seam of the ball is formed at the equator having about six parallel stitches. The balls used in international contests weigh about 0.16 kg or 160 g.

Mainly there are 3 manufacturers of cricket balls in the world: Kookaburra, Duke and SG. While Kookaburra is used in most of the test playing nations, Duke is used in England and West Indies whereas India uses SG. Let’s get into the detail of each of them.

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#1 Kookaburra Balls

Kookaburra was established in 1890. It was named after it’s founder AG Thompson’s pet Kookaburra ‘Jacky’. They manufacture balls for test cricket,ODI’s and T20s. Besides that they also manufacture balls for hockey. They are undoubtedly the World No.1 cricket ball manufacturer.

The Red Kookaburra weighs about 156 g with a 4-piece construction. They are mostly machine made. These balls offer less seam but helps the ball to swing for a maximum of 30 overs. They offer little help to the spinners. As the ball gets older, it becomes easy for the batsman to bat.

#2 Duke Balls:

The origin of Dukes cricket ball was in the year 1760 when the production began in Tonbridge. From then on they have been the leading cricket ball manufacturers in England.

They are completely handmade and the quality is excellent. From test matches to T20s held in England, these balls are used. They are provided with a layer of lacquer making it look darker than the other two.

The bowlers obtain a lot of movement with the ball, especially in England conditions and the wear is less when compared to Kookaburra. The batsmen are tested for a prolonged period of time as the shine is not lost so early as compared to Kookaburra or SG cricket balls.

#3 SG(Sanspareils Greenlands) Balls

Sanspareils Co. was established in 1931 by brothers Kedarnath and Dwarkanath Anand in Sialkot(now in Pakistan). The company used to manufacture sports goods initially. After independence,they moved back to India and rebuilt the company in UP(Meerut).

As both the brothers were interested in cricket, they started to concentrate on it. Great players like Gavaskar started using their products. Fast forward to 1991 when BCCI approved SG and it made its debut the same year. Since then, the Tests in India are played with this ball.

Even now the balls are handmade and have upright seam which remains in good condition even after one day of play. They lose their shine very quickly because of the dry wickets in India. They are best suited for spinners because of a wider seam. After the shine goes off, they provide the bowlers with a lot of reverse swing. The swing off the new ball isn't as prominent as it is in the other two.

So Kookaburra balls are fragile and loses it’s swing very quickly because of a narrower seam, whereas Duke doesn’t lose it’s shine easily and proves to be effective even when the ball gets old. Once the Duke ball is old, it is used to get reverse swing just like SG balls. SG balls are designed for rough conditions with a wider seam and a better grip for the spinners. The pacers have their share when the ball starts to reverse.