Inventors having a ball to help game...
AHEAD of today’s cricket restart, a pair of Warwickshire club cricketers have taken a hands-on approach to overcoming their sport’s coronavirus concerns.
Konig UK’S Heath and Ryan Parnell, who are also stalwarts of Bedworth Cricket Club , have developed K-touch+, an innovative new hand-hygiene product which tackles Government fears regarding the transfer of viruses on a cricket ball.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson blamed the delay in relaunching a socially-distanced version of the sport on this specific concern, and perhaps influenced by cricketers’ traditional use of saliva to clean and shine, he described the ball as “a natural vector of disease.”
As MD Heath explains, Konig UK responded by rapidly developing K-touch+, which gives users up to six hours’ protection against infection.
“When we understood the issues facing our sport, we shifted our product development focus from materials that touch-up and repair furniture and window frames to tackling the problem,” he said.
“K-touch+ is a non-alcoholbased product which gives up to six hours’ protection. It soaks into skin pores to create an environment destructive to micro-organisms – including the likes of coronavirus, influenza, norovirus, or Ebola. Even if the ball becomes infected, anyone touching it is then not at risk.
“These are unique times. Ktouch+ works in any walk of life, not just cricket, as it protects against infection on a door handle, shopping trolley or worktop.”
Following discussions with medical experts at English cricket’s governing body, the ECB, the England team has trialled K-touch+ during practice for the ‘bio-secure’ West Indies Test series, which starts today.
It has also been the subject of a detailed discussion on Talksport, where former England stars Darren Gough and Paul
Nixon, who now coaches Leicestershire, were very supportive.
Nixon’s county was the first professional club to use Ktouch+ and he has given the product a ringing endorsement.
“Konig UK’S products are making Leicestershire much safer – in particular Ktouch+ brings great protection for up to six hours, which is a full day’s play,” he said.