Do red, white and pink and cricket balls behave differently?

BBC News

a day ago

Three colours are used for cricket balls in different formats - red, white, and pink.The difference in colour is down to visibility. The traditional red ball remains used for Test matches as they stand out in daylight and don't clash with the players' whites White balls were introduced for matches in limited-overs formats, which often take place under floodlights like One-Day Internationals and T20s. They were developed in the 1970s and first used in the 1992 Cricket World Cup.Pink balls, meanwhile, are designed to provide balanced visibility in formats which transition from daylight to floodlights during play. They were first trialled in the late 2000s and become a staple of international cricket, having been deemed superior to alternative trial options including yellow and orange.
What rules must cricket balls abide by?
Cricket balls have a cork interior, held together by tightly wound yarn. The exterior of first-class balls is typically made of four pieces of leather which is either machine or hand-stitched together to create the distinctive seam.Whenever a manufacturer produces cricket balls for the men's first-class game, they must abide by the following measurements:Weight between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces.Diameter between 2.8 and 2.86 inches.Circumference between 8.81 and 9 inches.
Which balls swing more?
The different balls are designed with distinct colours for visibility reasons only, and manufacturers often insist no difference exists beyond the colour.But many players, coaches and fans believe they each behave differently.There is a common perception the white ball swings more than the red ball, and bowlers also sometimes claim there is a difference in feel in the hand between the two, leading to a slight difference in grip and greater difficulty generating spin.Given the discrepancy between what the manufacturers say and what players insist they experience, there is no conclusive answer which explains whether the different balls really do or do not play differently.But if they do, what could possibly be behind it?Well, the exteriors of the different kinds of ball are treated slightly differently during the manufacturing process.Red balls are commonly darkened with wax before the lacquering process, lending them a leathery feel, while white balls can have an extra layer of polish applied to improve their shine under floodlights.That creates a smoother, glassier finish which could allow white balls to move slightly more quickly through the air and face less resistance, leading it to swing farther than the red ball. The seam on a white ball can also be less prominent than on a red ball, leading to a further decrease in air resistance.The pink ball is treated more similarly to the white ball, though it features a black or green seam to improve contrast. Some believe the pink ball has a tendency to swing even more than the white ball.While the red ball can be shined by players during play, the white and pink balls cannot. The fact the red ball includes a layer less of lacquer means it often wears down more easily than the white and pink ball.
What is Ask Me Anything?
This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions. This question was submitted by Mark in Preston. Thanks, Mark!We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.The team explores everything you need to know and calls upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits.We answer your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and go behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events.Our coverage spans the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio.
More questions answered...
How does the World Cup of Darts work?Why do athletes take pickle juice?Why are Russia still playing international football despite ban?What are penalty points in F1 and how do they work?How is the Ballon d'Or winner decided?