Cricket Australia to test refined version of Kookaburra ball during two rounds of Sheffield Shield

The new ball has been designed after taking feedback in the off-season from players, coaches and officials.

Players in action during a Sheffield Shield match | Getty

Cricket Australia (CA) said on Wednesday (November 27) confirmed that they will test a “refined” version of the red Kookaburra ball during two rounds of this season’s Sheffield Shield.

“In time, we would like to see this ball being considered for future first-class cricket in Australia,” Peter Roach, the head of cricket operations at CA, said in a statement.

“After an extensive process of testing in the laboratory, training and match conditions, we are confident that given a good pitch and weather conditions, the refined turf ball will stay harder for longer, and produce more swing for longer periods.”

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The new ball, designed after taking feedback in the off-season from players, coaches and officials, will be exploited in rounds five and six of the Sheffield Shield, starting on Friday (November 29).

Subsequently, the cricketers will play with the British-made Dukes ball as they have done in the last three seasons.

Ahead of the first Test against New Zealand, English pacer Jofra Archer had said that he found it difficult to adjust to the Kookaburra ball, having used the Dukes ball during the Ashes series in England.

(Inputs from Reuters)

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 27 Nov, 2019

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