BETTER SEAM?

Kookaburra to introduce turf balls with more durable seam in Sheffield Shield

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on

The refined red Turf ball is designed with a new leather lining concept, that allows both the ball and the seam to stay harder for longer © Getty

Kookaburra have come up with a refined red Turf ball that they hope will swing for longer. The updated ball will be introduced by Cricket Australia in rounds five and six of the 2019-20 Sheffield Shield tournament, with the Dukes ball scheduled to take over after the Big Bash break.

To the naked eye, the updated Turf ball, developed after off-season feedback from players, coaches and officials alike, does not look or feel any different to existing Kookaburra balls. It has the same weight, shape and seam as the current ball but the difference lies in the lining of the leather. The new design works to increase the resilience of the seam, making both the ball and the seam stay harder for longer.

In recent times, there's been a collective gripe over the kind of cricket Australia has produced. While drop-in pitches and their inability to break up have been one half of the problem, the Kookaburra ball has definitely been the other. The seam on the ball doesn't last for long, leaving the job of picking wickets harder for the seamers and spinners alike. A more durable seam is what this updated Kookaburra ball seeks to bring into the game.

Australia were on the receiving end of a rare series loss at home against India last summer, where the inability of the host seamers to strike with the old ball stood out. India, on the other hand, were able to make regular dents into Australia's batting line-up that was without Steve Smith and David Warner.

"After an extensive process of testing in the laboratory, training and match conditions, we are confident that given good pitch and weather conditions the refined Turf ball will stay harder for longer, and produce more swing for longer periods. In time, we would like to see this ball being considered for future First Class cricket in Australia," CA Head of Cricket Operations, Peter Roach, said.

Kookaburra have worked on the new leather lining concept internally for a number of years, and the ball has undergone an extensive trial period that includes lab testing, training sessions, off-season matches and use in the Second XI competitions with encouraging results.

This is not the first time three balls will be used in a Sheffield Shield season. Day-night matches in previous seasons meant that pink balls, in addition to the red Kookaburra and Dukes balls have been used.

Both CA and Kookaburra will seek feedback on the new Turf ball after the end of rounds six and seven, and work towards introducing it at the Test level. That said, the updated Kookaburra ball will not be used in Test cricket this summer. As it is, changing a regular ball at Test level will require involvement from other cricket boards too.

"The timeline (for its use in Tests) is unknown - we'll get through the next two games and we'll reassess again," Roach further told cricket.com.au. "We'll work with Kookaburra to see if this is what we want to continue with for our first-class ball. We want to see balance between bat and ball and we hope this change further assists this.

"Then, if all is going well, can we potentially make change to the global game? That is a possibility, but that is still some way off. We don't just want Shield cricket to be a great contest between bat and ball - we want Test cricket to have a great balance."

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