MCC trials are on the ball

Date released: 1 July 2009

New white balls designed for improved durability passed the tests of Twenty20 cricket and showed that MCC are getting closer to finding a ball suitable for day/night Tests.

MCC have experiemented with white and pink balls Last week’s MCC Universities T20 tournament was the platform to find a white ball with improved durability. Existing models need to be changed at around the 34 over mark.

As part of MCC’s extensive research into coloured cricket balls, the Club have been working with ball manufacturers Kookaburra and Dukes to trial variations of coatings in an effort to maintain the ball's colour and increase its durability.

Pink Kookaburra balls at Lord's Rob Elliot, Managing Director of Kookaburra Sport, came to Loughborough to oversee the trial of the new balls and was pleased with the results.

"These tests aren’t conclusive by any means but I have learnt a lot from this MCC Universities Twenty20 tournament.

"We are going in the right direction. We still have a lot of work to do, some fairly exhaustive tests to carry out, but this has been very useful."

Over the course of the two day competition, white balls were given up to 40 overs use and they showed improvements from balls previously used in one day cricket.

Should the right model be found Elliot is keen to give it a fuller test it in a season-long fifty over competition, in both the UK and overseas.

Karl Krikken, reserve team coach of tournament winners Derbyshire, also felt the trial was successful:

"The ball kept its shape a bit better and the lacquer didn’t go as much.

"MCC and the ball manufacturers are trying to make it last the full fifty overs and they are well on the way to doing that."

MCC has the long-term ambition of finding a ball suitable for the duration of an innings in One Day International cricket and for potential use in Test matches.

MCC’s Laws and Universities Manager, Fraser Stewart watched proceedings unfold at Loughborough: "The ICC has already said they are keen to investigate the idea of day-night Test cricket and obviously you can’t use a red ball, so there is a need to find a white or coloured ball that can be used which will last at least 80 overs.

"The white ball currently used is a long way from that as it loses colour and easily picks up dirt.

"I think this tournament was very useful in seeing that by tweaking coatings you can extend the life of the ball. To make it last 80 overs, however, we will need to conduct further tests."