Kookaburra unveils new specialised ball for Twenty20 cricket

The new ball, Kookaburra hopes, will be employed in T20 leagues as trial before being introduced in International cricket.

Kookaburraa's new 'Turf20' ball. (Cricket.com.au)

Cricket ball manufacturers Kookaburra has unveiled the world's first ball created specifically for Twenty-20 cricket. The new 'Turf20' ball, which has been crafted to withstand the powerful hitting in the game's shortest format and its testing has been initiated.

Kookaburra hopes that the ball could be introduced to T20 leagues and international cricket before the 2020 World T20 in Australia. After trialing it in a few club games, the Kookaburra will continue testing this new ball over the next 18 months before offering it to cricket boards by late 2020.

Shannon Gill, a Kookaburra spokesperson, was quoted regarding the development saying, "As Twenty20 cricket evolved, Kookaburra thought there should be a way to create a ball specific to its needs rather than follow the traditional method of ball-making that is used in Test cricket"

"A Test ball is designed to gradually deteriorate over 80 overs, this is an integral element to Test cricket. Twenty20 cricket has evolved quite differently; the ball is only needed for 20 overs and the action is more intense and explosive than Test cricket. This means gradual deterioration is not as big a factor, instead a ball that meets the demands of the power hitting game has been created."

 The balls were deployed in the first round of the NT Strike competition in Darwin recently and Gill said, "In follow-up feedback, the players responded they did not notice any difference to the way the ball played as far as bounce and speed, but there were comments on the improved hardness of the ball through the 20 overs," 

(Inputs from Cricket.com.au)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 08 Jul, 2018

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