Test cricket or first-class cricket is a format of the sport wherein a match lasts for four or five days. A maximum of 90 overs are played each day. This makes test cricket the most rigorous format of cricket in terms of stamina and agility.
To ensure that the standards of the game are maintained, no compromise is made on the quality of equipment. The test cricket ball is also known as the red ball or cherry. It has to be manufactured in a manner that it’s bounce remains even for 80 overs (480 legal deliveries).
The three most common types of test cricket balls are manufactured by SG, Dukes’, and Kookaburra.
Sansparelis Greenlands (SG) Ball
The SG Ball is manufactured in the Indian city of Meerut. It is used for matches that are played within the country and has been used in test cricket since 1991. Since Indian conditions are usually dry, the ball loses its shine faster (approximately after 40 overs). By the end of the day, the ball’s rough surface facilitates reverse swing, making it a challenging parabola for the batters to trace.
SG Balls have a thick seam and are hand stitched. The thick threads make the seam wider, making it resistant to the abrasiveness of the dry surface.
Dukes’ Ball
In 1760, the first cricket balls went under production in the United Kingdom. These were the Dukes’ balls. They are the oldest test cricket balls and arguably the most durable. The ball’s manufacturing takes into consideration the green pitch and overcast conditions of England.
The center of the Dukes’ ball has six tightly stitched threads. These threads are embossed, and hence bowlers can have a commanding grip. Since this ball takes longer to wear, seamers are largely benefited by it. West Indies is the only other country to use Dukes’ Ball.
Kookaburra Ball
The Kookaburra balls are known for gaining international repute in test cricket. Kookaburra is a company that has manufactured cricket goods for over 130 years. In 1946, it began with the production of test cricket balls.
These Australian (Melbourne) balls are crafted by machinery and thus are not hand stitched. Despite the less prominence of seam compared to the Dukes’ ball and SG ball, the bouncy Australian pitches make it advantageous for the pace bowlers. Hence, these balls are used in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Each of these manufacturers also produce the pink colored cricket balls that are used in day-night test cricket matches. The pink color of the ball is protected with a polyurethane coat, whereas the seam’s threads are black instead of white.
Test cricket balls are thus used based on the conditions of the pitch and can be manufactured by machines or manually.
