Today, we discuss some facts about Cricket balls. Cricket has always been a lavish game to enjoy and contemplate, and the main kits of cricket comprise the bat, ball, and the stumps. Undoubtedly the one cricket equipment has undergone the most changes ever since its foray into the cricketing world. The cricket ball today finds itself crafted in different colors, material, and stitching. It has initially been seeing their origination in Kent, England, where companies employed people with an exquisite skill set for stitching together a ball.
With precise modulations in place, a cricket ball is crafted, keeping two things in mind- the duration of the match and the circumstances under which it is used. A cricket ball is made from cork strips and a tightly wound string. It is then covered by a leather case with a slightly protruding seam. The outer layer of a ball covered by the highest quality leather is cut into four pieces.
Facts About Cricket Balls:
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The seam of a cricket ball has a total of 6 stitches, three on either side. The seam is diligently rotated by 90 degrees to make sure that a cricket ball has a uniform shape to it. Each section is then put into a vice, which molds the leather into the form of a hemisphere. Throughout the history of the game, there have been few unknown facts of the cricket ball. So, in this blog, we will find out ten unknown facts about cricket balls.
- Under the laws of cricket, it is illegal for a player to rub any substance other than saliva and sweat onto the ball. In March 2018, during the third Test match against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town, Cameron Bancroft was caught by television cameras trying to rough up one side of the ball with sandpaper to swing in flight. Captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were found to be involved. All three received unprecedented sanctions from Cricket Australia.
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- It is also unlawful to stroke the ball on the ground, scuff the ball with any sharp object, including fingernails, or pick at or lift the seam of the ball. Ball-tampering is an action in which a player illegally alters the condition of the ball using any artificial substance such as lip balm or any other action such as rubbing it on the ground, scuffing it is with a sharp object or a fingernail or tampering with the seam of the ball. When the ball is tampered, one side of the ball gets rough, and it becomes easier for the bowler to move the ball in the air, i.e., reverse swing the ball.
- The ball has a core of cork, layered with tightly wound string, and covered by a leather case with a slightly raised sewn seam. The inner core of a cricket ball is generally a rubber-like material, although consisting of mixed rubber and cork. The inner core of the ball makes it hard. Among the less-known facts about Cricket balls.
- The seam consists of six rows of stitching. The “equator” of the ball is stitched with string to form the ball’s prominent seam, with six rows of stitches. A raised seam of six rows of stitching gives a ball several unique qualities and helps determine its swing, cut and spin. Also, the six rows of stitches help in joining the two halves of the cricket ball. Among the unknown facts about Cricket balls.
- The seam causes air turbulence, which results in the ball’s deviation through the air called “swing.” Swing bowling involves the use of a newer ball, which is only slightly worn. The bowling side will continually polish one side of the ball by applying saliva and sweat to it as well as rubbing it against their clothing to shine it while leaving the opposite side unshined. The speed of airflow over the ball’s rough and smooth sides will cause the ball to move in-flight towards the rough side and away from the shiny side. Swing bowlers will often use a subtly altered grip on the ball to accentuate this effect.
- Seam bowling relies on deliberate deviation caused by the seam when the ball bounces. If the ball is bowled in such a way that the seam hits the pitch when it bounces, this irregularity can cause the ball to deviate sideways in its path. It may move in any direction or go straight. Among the facts about Cricket balls that only a Cricketer knows.
- The earliest use of the phrase “ball-tampering” was in 1929, in baseball in the US. Ball-tampering is also known as Spitball in the game of baseball. A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of a foreign substance such as saliva or petroleum jelly. This technique develops the wind resistance and weight on one side of the ball, causing it to move in an atypical manner. It may also cause the ball to “slip” out of the pitcher’s fingers without the usual spin that accompanies a pitch.
- Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707–1751), died of complications after being hit by a cricket ball. In the past, this has been attributed to a burst lung abscess caused by a blow from cricket or a real tennis ball. Among the less-known facts about Cricket balls.
- Cricket umpire, Alcwyn Jenkins, died in Swansea in 2009 after being hit on the head by a ball thrown by a fielder. The umpire was hit by the ball on his head’s right side, which caused him severe injuries and couldn’t survive the impactful blow.
- The size and construction of cricket balls in the UK are specified by British Standard BS 5993. BS 5993 is a British Standard determining the construction details, dimensions, quality, and performance of cricket balls. BS 5993:1994 Specification for cricket balls was published on 15 January 2005 and confirmed on 1 October 2012. Among the rarely-known facts about Cricket balls.
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These were a few facts about Cricket ball that you might not be knowing. Don’t forget to pen down your comments.
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