It is an important part of the game of cricket. There are many types and colours of cricket balls. The overall performance of different coloured balls varies based on how the ball is made, the material used in the seam, and the type of coating on the surface of the ball. Let’s understand their purposes and differences.
What material is the cricket ball made of?
While robots have undoubtedly simplified some parts of the work over the years, most cricket ball manufacturers still handcraft a large portion of their products.
It is true that the hard shell of the shell is coated in hard leather. However, it has two other major divisions under it. The hard core of the kookaburra ball is made of cork, which is tightly wrapped around a coiled string to form a spherical shape.
After this, all the components are weighed to ensure that they meet the standard requirements for a cricket ball. Four pieces of leather are put together to form a raised sea, and the “Equator” is stitched using string.
The leather is then dyed, branded with the maker’s name, and polished several times before being distributed to eager seam bowlers all over the world.
Top 8 Key Differences Between White, Red, and Pink Cricket Balls:
Leather processing
The traditional cricket ball-making process begins with the leather process. After refining the leather, it is dyed red. To ensure that the ball lasts for a long time, high-quality leather is used. The main difference between pink and red balls is how the leather is treated and the colour applied.
In the case of red balls, they are coloured red. Dying gives colour to the red ball. The colour of pink cricket balls comes from the pigment found on the leather. The pink balls are coated with PU (polyurethane), while the white balls are coated with a hard-wearing coating to protect against dirt and scratches, making them somewhat heavier. On the other hand, pink balls are less polished and lighter than white balls.
Appearance:
Red balls are unsuitable for night play as they turn yellow under floodlights. The white balls are highly visible under floodlights. Also, when watching the match on television, the white ball looks great. The most obvious difference between pink and red balls is their appearance in floodlights.
The pink balls are highly visible under floodlights, making them suitable for nighttime competition. Red balls turn brown under floodlights, making them difficult to see, and are therefore unsuitable for day-night Test matches. Both white and pink cricket balls are suitable for use at night under floodlights and thus are used in day-night games.
Usage:
While red cricket balls are used only in Test and first-class matches, white cricket balls are used in Twenty20 and one-day matches. In Test cricket, both red and pink cricket balls are used.
The white and pink balls have more similarities than differences. Pink cricket balls are used during day-night Test matches, while white cricket balls are used for Twenty20 and ODI matches.
Build Quality:
The red balls are outside the white balls. As a result, red cricket balls can be used for at least 80 overs. As white cricket balls deteriorate quickly, they are more suitable for limited overs matches. Also, white balls get dirty or dull much faster than red balls. As a result, the white balls can sometimes get mixed up with the crowd.
Pink balls are more durable than white balls, and as a result, can be used for longer formats of the game, such as Test cricket. White balls also become dirty or dark over time, although pink balls retain their colour for a long time.
Seam and Thread Color:
White thread is used for the seam on red cricket balls, while black thread is used on pink cricket balls. The seam on the red ball is made entirely of synthetic material, while the seam on the pink ball is a mix of synthetic and linen in the right proportions.
The seam on the white ball is sharp and fully synthetic, while the seam on the pink ball is a combination of synthetic and linen. The seam of the pink cricket ball is much stronger and more pronounced than that of the red cricket ball, and it helps the players to grip the ball properly.
Swing and bounce:
Red cricket balls have a strong swing and bounce for the first 15 overs, but pink cricket balls have a good swing and bounce even after 40 overs. This is due to the PU coating used in the pink ball, which does not peel off easily, keeping it relatively fresh for a long time. However, because of its smooth surface, the white ball swings well.
The white ball is considered to have more swing and movement than the red ball. A white cricket ball is more durable than a red cricket ball. Pink cricket balls have a higher swing and bounce tendency than white and red cricket balls.
layer:
White balls are more prone to scratches and blemishes than red balls. A hard-wearing coating is added to prevent the white balls from getting dirty quickly. This coating makes the white balls somewhat harder than the red balls. A white cricket ball requires a lot of cleaning and coating. This makes the white ball somewhat heavier than the red and pink balls.
The pink cricket ball, on the other hand, is less polished and lighter than the white. A wax coating is used on red balls, but cannot be used on pink balls because it makes the ball dark and difficult to see under floodlights. So the pink balls are covered with PU (Polyurethane) covering. Polyurethane also protects against corrosion and scratches.
Dew Effect:
When the captain who won the toss in a cricket match explains why he bowled first, we often hear the term “due factor”. Dew is simply the presence of excessive moisture on the field, making it difficult for bowlers to grip and control the ball.
As a result, the batting team on the other side may benefit. The types of balls used in this scenario are important. Pink balls are easier to handle than red balls during dew. The linen in the pink ball seam absorbs moisture and therefore aids in greater grip.
Conclusion:
Cricket is an interesting game. Even small changes to rules and regulations have the potential to significantly change gameplay. The whole idea of adopting a brilliantly coloured ball was to solve the vision problem in games played after dark. However, as the organization evolves, so does the game, and so do the precise features of the game—transforming into a much more interesting game structure.
During the games, other coloured balls have been used on occasion. Yellow and orange balls were used as an alternative to white balls during night games, but these colours were discarded from the game and have not been used since. The pink ball has made its debut and is currently preferred over all other balls. Bowlers have since learned to place a variety of balls to their advantage.
