The cricket ball weight is 155.9 to 163 grams in Men’s Cricket while in Women’s cricket, its weight differs from 140 to 151 grams.
What Materials Are Used to Make Cricket Balls?
There is always excitement to know more details about the preparation of a cricket ball among the fans. Let us know more about the materials used to make cricket balls. Cricket balls, red or white, are majorly made of three different kinds of materials – Leather, Cork and String.
Cork is used to make the core of the ball while the string is used to wrap the body several times for reinforcement. Leather is then wrapped over both cork and string. This is how the ball is prepared. Interestingly, the leather is either dyed red or white depending on the type of format that is being played.
For Test cricket or first-class matches, dyed red leather is used while for the T20 or One-Day game, white leather is used to wrap over the cork and string.
When was the first white ball used in cricket?
The white ball was first used in cricket back in 1977 in the World Series Cricket – WSC – the tournament started by Kerry Packer in the said year. Kookaburra started making the white ball. Until 1977, even One-Day cricket was played with the red ball.
The only issue with the white ball was it used to lose its colour by picking up contamination on the surface. Moreover, the more the white ball is used, it scratches and wears. Hence, in a 50-over game, the ball was changed after 35 overs. However, the rules were later changed to the new ball at each end of an innings in a One-Day game.
Cricket Ball: Weight and Size
Cricket is played across the world at a lot of different levels. Hence, the weight and size of a cricket ball change accordingly as the same ball used at the international level cannot be used at the U19 level. Hence, some rules have been set for the weight and size of the cricket balls to be made and the manufacturers duly keep them ready according to the requirement.
Balls weigh the most in Men’s cricket. A cricket ball weighs around 155.9 to 163 grams in Men’s cricket while its circumference is between 22.4 and 22.9 centimetres.
When it comes to Women’s cricket, the weight of the ball goes down a bit as it weighs between 140 grams and 151 grams. In this case, the circumference of the ball stands between 21 and 22.5 centimetres. For junior cricket, the ball weighs from 133 to 144 grams with its circumference varying between 20.5 and 22 centimetres.
Weight and Dimensions of a Ball in Women’s Cricket
Women’s cricket has become immensely popular nowadays especially since team India, under Mithali Raj’s leadership, made it to the final of the ODI Cricket World Cup back in 2017. Since then, the graph has only gone a level up in Women’s cricket and things are set to change with the inaugural season of Women’s Premier League organised by the BCCI set to commence on March 4.
However, not many are aware that the weight and the dimensions of a cricket ball change when it comes to Women’s cricket. Perhaps, not only the ball but the boundaries and the inner circle also change in Women’s cricket when compared to Men’s cricket. Coming back to the cricket ball weight in Women’s cricket, it varies from 140 grams to 151 grams. Its circumference also changes accordingly and has to be kept between 20.5 to 22 centimetres.
Apart from the pitch (22 yards), the rest certainly changes in Women’s cricket. However, in 2020, in an interview with ESPNCricinfo, the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Rachel Haynes, Lea Tahuhu and Nida Dar had given their views regarding the length of the pitch as well. While some were in favour of the pitch length being reduced for the ball to reach a quicker speed at the other end while few felt that the current length i.e… 22 yards is absolutely fine.
Who invented the first cricket balls and what were they made from?
It is believed that the first set of cricket balls were made by the generations of the Duke family in the years between 1760 and 1841. The family at the time ran a cottage business at Redleaf Hill in Penshurst in Kent. Interestingly, in 1775, Duke and Son obtained the Royal Patent for their cricket balls from King George IV. They manufactured the first ever six seam cricket ball that was used in 1780 cricket season.
What’s the difference between red, pink and white cricket balls?
The red ball was the only way to play cricket early on. However, a white ball was introduced with the ball losing its sheen, especially under the lights. The white ball is known for its visibility and for that to achieve, according to the experts, the said ball is more polished in order to make it more shinier and visible.
The shine comes with extra polish on the surface of the white ball and interestingly, due to this extra polish, the white ball swings more than the red ball. When it comes to the pink ball, there is not much difference from the red ball. Both the balls are used in Test matches with the pink one specifically used in Test matches played under lights.
One of the most glaring differences in the making of the red ball and pink ball is its stitching. While the red ball is stitched with a white thread, the pink one is stitched with a black thread. To make the red ball shine, wax is applied to the ball but the same wax turns the pink ball black. Hence, a PU-based coat is used on it to make it look brighter.
Another big difference between the two balls is their seam. The seam of the pink ball is firm and pronounced which helps the bowler to hold it properly. On the other hand, the seam of the red ball is synthetic. This huge difference between the two balls is due to the time of the Test match being played.
What are the different types of cricket balls available?
A total of three different types of cricket balls are available at the moment and they are – Red, White and Pink balls. The three types of cricket balls are used in Test format, Limited-overs format and Day-Night Test cricket respectively. These types of balls are manufactured by companies like Kookaburra, Dukes and SG.
According to the conditions on offer in different parts of the world, a type of cricket ball is used. In India, SG Cricket balls are used in three formats of the sport while when cricket is being played in Australia and New Zealand, Kookaburra balls are used.
FAQs
What is the weight of the red ball?
The weight of the red ball in cricket in Men’s cricket varies from 140 grams to 151 grams.
What is the weight of the cricket ball in the Men’s game?
The weight of the cricket ball in Men’s cricket is between 140 grams and 151 grams.
