The History of the Cricket Ball

The first cricket balls could have been made of rolled wool. Some modern batsmen probably wish they still were.

  1. Beginnings

    • One origin has English shepherds in the Middle Ages bowling or rolling balls of rags or wool at a target, often the sheep paddock's wicket gate. Other shepherds defended it with their crooked staffs. But it is unlikely one single game evolved into modern cricket.

    First

    • Edward II (1300s) and Oliver Cromwell (1600s) are attributed with wielding a bat, and the first recorded game was in Kent, England, in 1646.

    Dimensions

    • The first written Laws of Cricket in 1744 said the ball must weigh 5 oz. to 6 oz. In the 1770s, the weight became 5 1/2 oz. to 5 3/4 oz., and the circumference was 8 13/16 inches to 9 inches.

    Composition

    • Cricket balls have a cork core that is covered with tightly wound string, and two- or four-piece leather case. The slightly raised sewn seam is the most important part of the ball, producing its unpredictable movement off the pitch.

    Handmade

    • Hand-making cricket balls, even up to first class and test quality, is still a cottage industry in the Indian subcontinent.