THEY say a handyman should never blame his tools – and the same applies in the case of a cricket ball.
The late Australian legend Shane Warne amazed fans for years with his bowling technique, especially the Ball of the Century.
Shane Warne was on of the world’s greatest bowlers
And Sri Lankan cricket idol Muttiah Muralitharan’s 7339.5 overs has also proved that bowling is all about talent and not just the ball.
However, there are different cricket balls for different occasions and SunSport will be taking a deeper dive into what they are made of.
What is a cricket ball made of?
Similar to cricket bats, a cricket ball is made of entirely organic materials.
Cork core – gives the ball its shape and density.
Twine layers – ensures the outside leather casting anchors to the cork which gives it some flexibility to the surface.
Leather – forms a dynamic and durable surface that can change through the course of the match.
Seam – gives the bowler a point of leverage to impart swing, cut or spin and it forces the batter to anticipate the movement of the ball in the air.
What are the types of cricket balls?
There are four different types of cricket balls which are used depending on the occasion,
Clean white
White balls were introduced to improve visibility against coloured clothing during night matches. But two balls are usually used during a match as the white leather deteriorates and loses its colour quicker than a red one and it is mainly used in T20’s or ODI’s.
Standard red
Before the introduction of World Series cricket in the 1970s, the red leather ball was the most common ball. It is mainly used in Test matches.
Pink ball
The pink ball is similar to the standard red as it is used in the longer Test matches. However, the seam of the pink ball is more firm which helps players to grip the ball better.
Blind cricket balls
Competition blind cricket first began in 1920 and has now become really popular. Blind cricket has two balls – both have bottle tops and metal weights inside which create a noise once the ball is hit.
What is the record for the fastest bowl?
The fastest bowl recorded at the time of this publication is 161.3km/h (100.23mph) by Pakistan icon Shoaib Akhtar.
He achieved this against England in the 2003 World Cup and stats say that his bowl is faster than a cheetah.
