Cricket ball

A cricket ball is a hard, solid ball used to play cricket. A cricket ball consists of cork covered by leather, and manufacture is heavily regulated by cricket law at first class level. The manipulation of a cricket ball, through employment of its various physical properties, is the staple component of bowling and dismissing batsmen – movement in the air, and off the ground, is influenced by the condition of the ball and the efforts of the bowler, while working on the cricket ball to obtain an optimum condition is a key role of the fielding side. The cricket ball is the principal manner through which the batsman scores runs, by manipulating the ball into a position where it would be safe to take a run, or by directing the ball through the boundary. In Test cricket, professional domestic games that spread over a multitude of days, and almost the entirety of amateur cricket, the traditional red cricket ball is used. In many one day cricket matches, a white ball is used instead in order to remain visible under floodlights. Training balls of white, red and pink are also common, and windballs and tennis balls in a cricket motif can be used for training or informal cricket matches. During cricket matches, the quality of the ball changes to a point where it is no longer usable, and during this decline its properties alter and thus influence the match. Altering the state of the cricket ball outside the permitted manners designated in the rules of cricket is prohibited during a match, and 'ball tampering' has resulted in numerous controversies. Cricket balls, weighing between 155.9 and 163.0 grams, are known for their hardness and for the risk of injury involved when using them. The danger of cricket balls was a key motivator for the introduction of protective equipment. Injuries due to cricket balls are often recorded in matches, and a small number of fatalities have been recorded or attributed to cricket balls. The nature of the cricket ball slightly varies with its manufacturer. The white Kookaburra balls are used in One Day Internationals and T20Is, while the red Kookaburra is used in Tests played in 8 out of the 10 Test-playing nations.[1] The exception being West Indies and England (Dukes) and India (SG).[2] Dukes balls are said to be cheaper than Australian Kookaburra balls.[3] While SG balls are said to be 1/5 the price of Kookaburra balls.[4]