Cricket started in South East England in the mid-16th century. As the British Empire grew, cricket spread around the world. The first international cricket matches were played in the late 19th century.

To play cricket, you need a bat and a ball. Bats have changed a lot over the years, but cricket balls have changed very little.

A cricket ball is a hard, leather-covered sphere with a circumference of nine inches (23 cm). According to the rules, top-quality cricket balls must be made with six rows of stitches that join the leather shell to the string and cork inside.

Who Invented The Cricket Ball?

Between 1760 and 1841, the first cricket balls were made by the Duke family, who had a small business in Penshurst, Kent. In 1775, Duke and Son got a Royal Patent from King George IV for their cricket balls. They made the first six-seam cricket ball in 1780.

Cricket became popular in Kent and Sussex, and the Duke family played a key role in cricket history.

After World War II, Duke balls were not popular in Australia. The Thompson family’s company, Kookaburra, got a contract from the Australian Cricket Board. Kookaburra’s white balls are now more popular than their red ones and are widely used around the world.

In India, Sanspareils Greenlands (SG) started making cricket balls in 1931. Founded by Kedarnath and Dwarakanath Anand, SG balls have a more prominent seam than Kookaburra balls. Since 1994, India has used SG balls for home Test matches.

Evolution Of Cricket Balls

Red balls were the first cricket balls used in Test matches until 1977. They swing and seam more when new and offer reverse swing when old.

In 1977, white cricket balls were used for the first time in World Series Cricket in Australia. White balls lose hardness faster than red balls and are not suitable for long-format games.

To make day-night Test matches possible, pink balls were introduced by the Marylebone Cricket Club in 2009. They are easier to see at night and swing more under lights, benefiting fast bowlers. Australia hosted the first pink-ball Test against New Zealand in 2015.

Cricket Ball: Weight & Dimensions

Cricket balls must meet British Standard BS 5993 for size, quality, material, and performance. In 1744, the weight of cricket balls was set between 5oz to 6oz. This changed in the 1770s from 5oz to 5.75oz. The circumference should be between 8.8125 to 9 inches.

Today, three companies make international cricket balls: Dukes, Kookaburra, and SG. Dukes balls are used in England and the West Indies, SG balls in India, and Kookaburra balls in other cricket nations.