A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME… OR IS IT?

TODAY we will see a pink ball used in an England Test for the first time. It certainly looks striking… but is it really all that different to the traditional red ball used since 1877?

Pigment is applied to the leather to make it pink - but unlike with the red ball, grease is not applied as it would make the ball duller and harder to see. Some say this makes it harder to shine and it does not swing for as long as the red ball - behaving more like a white ball used in one-day games. Jimmy Anderson noted the different sound when the pink ball hits the bat - a ‘click’ rather than a deeper ‘thud’. This is probably due to the lack of grease.

The core is made of cork and rubber - just like the traditional red ball.

Woollen yarn is wound around sheets of cork, as it is for the red ball.

The seam on the Dukes ball is hand stitched, as with the red ball, but it is black rather than white so it is easier for the batsmen to see.

SO HOW HAS THE PINK BALL GONE DOWN?

AFTER crawling to a 139-ball 53 in Hampshire’s day-night county game against Somerset, England all-rounder Liam Dawson said: ‘If you keep using these balls you’ll get some pretty boring cricket.’ The consensus is that after about 20 overs of prodigious swing, the pink Dukes ball softens and loses its shine — meaning it moves around less and is easier to play. Many complain that, while batting is fine during daylight, the pink ball moves around violently when the sun drops, particularly during twilight, thus favouring the bowlers. Former Australia batsman Adam Voges, who played in the inaugural day-night Test against New Zealand in 2015, said: ‘During the day the pink ball is pretty good to bat against. During twilight it’s a lot tougher. It’s like a different game. ‘That time when natural light is fading and artificial light is taking over is the most difficult. It affects your depth perception — everything feels like it’s happening quicker. ‘If you get the chance, and the wicket looks even half good enough, you have to bat first.’ Warwickshire chief executive Neil Snowball will try to reduce the effects of the evening dew on play by having a special spray applied to the outfield. In theory, it will ensure water droplets sit on top of the grass. When the rope is then dragged around the outfield the moisture should spray into the air and evaporate.

AND HOW WILL THE DAY-NIGHT TEST WORK?

PLAY starts at 2pm, with stumps scheduled for 9pm. A 40-minute ‘lunch’ break starts at 4pm. ‘Tea’ — when the floodlights come on — is from 6.40-7pm. Players will be offered the usual selection of chicken, pasta and pulses — and an additional ‘brunch’ meal when they arrive at midday. Edgbaston is known for its superb atmosphere, and Snowball and his team hope to keep it lively during the chilly evening session with a rum shack, artificial beach, deck chairs and a giant screen behind the Wyatt stand.