MySPOGA Cricket Equipment manual How to buy Cricket Balls Be it batting, bowling or fielding, the cricket ball is always

s in the limelight. The key to be good at playing cricket is to always keep an eye on the ball. Cricket is a game which is loved and played by people of various age groups. Thus, cricket balls are available in a wide range. Let us have a look at the following categories which will help in purchasing the cricket ball. Confi uration! Dont let the modest si e of the cricket ball fool you. !t may look very simple, but it has a lot of components. !t is made up of the core, leather layer and the seam. "verything is then stitched together and polished. The core of the cricket ball comprises of wrapped cork strips and tightly wound string. !t has around five layers of the above mentioned elements, which combine to provide good bounce and shape. The outer layer of the cricket ball is made of dyed leather. !t generally has two or four pieces which are then assembled together. Test match #uality cricket balls make use of four piece outer construction. The pieces merge into two hemispheres which are then united by the seam. The seam is rotated ninety degrees to ensure that the ball doesnt lose its shape. The seam makes use of si$ lines of stitching, which holds the two hemispheres together. The stitching around the seam has a huge impact on the game. The bowler uses the seam to generate movement after pitching the ball. The thickness and the number of stitches on the ball vary. %fter assembling, the balls are polished so that they get their familiar shine. The entire process is carried out with the help of machines or craftsmen.

"imensions! The laws of the game have strict guidelines pertaining to the dimensions of the cricket ball. They are specified according to men, women and &unior cricket, as well as colours. 'en(s cricket ) The ball in 'en(s cricket should weigh not less than *++.,grams -g., and not more than */0g. The si e of the cricket ball should be between 11.2centimetres -cm. to 11.,cm in circumference. 3omen(s cricket ) The weight of a ball in 3omen(s cricket is different4 it should be in the range of *25g to *+*g. The circumference should be between 1*.5cm to 11.+cm 6unior cricket -7nder *0. ) The prescribed range for the weight of the cricket ball used in 6unior cricket is between *00g to *22g4 the circumference of these balls are between 15.+cm to 11.5cm. Colour 8 Traditionally, red colour cricket balls were used4 but with the advent of day and night cricket, white colour balls are being used now. %lternatively, pink colour balls are being tried out in certain countries. Customised training balls8 These balls are available, but are used for training purposes only.

Before an# After! Certain things need to be kept in mind, when purchasing any cricket ball. Before ) 9irst, determine e$actly for which category and for which level, you need to purchase the ball. 'anage your budget, as going for cheap #uality balls may lead to damage of cricket bats. %fter ) Clean the e$cess dirt on the surface with a cloth, and use a water8resistant leather conditioner to polish it. :tore it in a non8humid, temperature controlled environment.