Swing, seam and shade - Unravelling the mysteries of a cricket ball

These small spheres can cause havoc on a cricket pitch, and are the most treasured objects for the bowling sides

It is a little cherry, round and mostly red. It is the object of everyone’s affection on a cricket field – fielders gloss it over on their pants, hold it gently in their palms and generally try and protect it from the brutality of the batsmen with the fondness of a pet owner. The cork and leather sphere is an object of desire, created with paternal love and plenty of science.

But the evolution of cricket and its affair with commerce have helped the cherry take other colours. White has been the most prominent – used widely across the limited over formats, whether in sunlight or under high intensity artificial light.

The ingredients and variety

At the core of a cricket ball is a piece of cork, mixed in some cases with a rubber compound. The core is reinforced with a string, wrapping it tightly over the cork. Either two or four pieces of leather are used to encase the core, stitched together by hand or machine. The two leather halves are stitched together with a string that is called the seam.

The string wrapped tightly around the cork, and enclosed in the leather casing

While good quality cow hide is essential to produce balls that can be used for top class cricket, there are other factors that need to be considered as well. For instance, leather from the southern hemisphere is believed to be far more brittle due to higher temperatures.

Irrespective of the manufacturers insisting that the only difference between the balls is the colour used to dye the ball, players have consistently described experiences that are contrary to that claim. Furthermore, there has also been an evident difference in balls manufactured by Duke for the English team, Sanspareils Greenlands for Team India and Kookaburra for all other teams. However, Kookaburra rules the roost across the globe when it comes to the white ball used for limited overs cricket.

Several colours have been experimented with over the past few years – yellow, orange and pink the most prominent among these. But the extent of testing has still been minimal and the experiences of the players involved have been less than satisfactory. We just do not have adequate authoritative information to discuss these balls in this feature.

Last year, Australia experimented with a pink ball in their domestic Sheffield Shield competition – as they prepare for a much awaited day-night Test match that is likely to be played between Australia and New Zealand next year. Having received some scathing feedback, it is learnt that a fluorescent orange might be tried this season as they seek to converge on one that might work.

The making of cricket balls is governed by British standard BS5993. No, we did not make that up. In this feature, we try and take the cover off the balls to try and explain the key differences in their form and behaviour.

Surface

Red cricket balls move through a lacquer-spraying machine at the Kookaburra Sports Pty Ltd. plant in Melbourne, Australia

The surface of a cricket ball is made up of processed leather, cow hide is used in good quality international balls. Lacquer is used to polish the leather and give the ball a glossy, shining finish.

Red Ball – It was once the most used sphere in cricket, till the white ball stole the honour. The new ball swings in the air as the smooth surface facilitates the flow of air to alter the trajectory of the ball. However, as the ball takes a pounding – off the pitch and from the willow – it starts getting scuffed.

The fielding team uses sweat and spit to soften the scuff marks and rub the ball on their trousers – typically working just on one side to allow the ball reverse swing as the innings progresses.

White Ball – Two of these are deployed in international limited overs cricket, used from either end of the wicket. Considering that these balls are used for cricket played in coloured clothing and under the lights, the new ball tends to be far more shiny and it’s harder to prevent it from getting scuffed very early in the innings.

The ball swings during the early overs, before the bowling team starts working on the ball to enable reverse swing later in the innings. Also, teams tend to take care of the two balls differently, based on the end at which they are used, the wind and the type of bowlers playing in the team.

Seam

The tradition of manufacturing cricket balls is an old one and many skills remain the same, but machines have brought subtle changes

The seam is a vital ingredient in the arsenal of both fast bowlers and spinners. While the pacers use the seam to extract bounce and movement off the wicket, spinners depend on it for grip, turn and bounce by altering the manner in which they hold the sphere in their hands.

Red Ball – Based on the type of ball used (Kookaburra, Dukes or SG), the nature and extent of seam varies from ball to ball. On some, the seam is flatter and wider, making them suitable for use on sun baked grounds with a harder ground surface. As the ball suffers wear and tear from the toughness off the ground, a lower seam prevents the ball from losing shape and behaving inconsistently.

In contrast, a pronounced seam enables bowlers to extract some lateral movement off the wicket, making them especially suitable for lush green grounds in countries such as England. Another factor that affects the condition of the seam is the manufacturing process – machine made balls tend to have a less prominent seam, compared to hand made balls.

Dukes and SG produce the balls with a pronounced seam, while the Kookaburra has a seam that is much less conspicuous.

White Ball – Since all international limited overs matches use Kookaburra white balls, there is far more consistency to these balls. Also, unlike in the case of Dukes and SG, Kookaburra balls are typically machine made. The seam on these balls is relatively subdued, with the emphasis on the polyurethane coating used to preserve the ball from getting too dirty.

This is the primary reason why the white ball swings far better than the red one. But it also means that bowlers struggle to exert themselves through clever use of the seam when they are playing the limited overs format.

Change does not come easy in cricket, so it is the players that adapt

After white, it’s turn of the pink cricket balls for day-night Test cricket

In a game that is steeped in tradition, often centuries old, it is no real surprise to see manufacturers struggle to force any real innovations. Besides, authorities that govern the game loath a product influencing the outcome of this drawn out spectacle. It is no wonder then that the art of making a cricket ball hasn’t undergone too much transformation over nearly three centuries.

But irrespective of how the manufacturers claim to view things – it is clear from the experiences of players that each ball has its own unique nuances. The white ball is apparently harder than the red one, perhaps due to the coating used to retain its surface intact for longer.

Similarly, spinners prefer the SG ball, which has a broader raised seam since it allows them to grip the ball better and extract turn and bounce through intelligent use of the seam. On the other hand, pacers prefer to work with the Kookaburra and Dukes.

The fast bowlers need to be intelligent with the length and direction to get the best out of the ball in their hands. They tend to bowl fuller when it offers swing while the ball is new. They need to go back of a length in the middle overs, working on the ball to enable reverse swing later in its life cycle.

Another factor that determines the behavior of the ball is the condition of the wicket – typically, balls tend to scuff faster in the heat of India and Australia, while they last longer in England where the rains keep the ground lush and softer.

One thing is certain – a cricket ball has a mind of its own. And bowlers who learn to understand its language well are the ones who find the means to make it talk and trouble batsmen.