What's Differnce in ? -  Red , White ,Pink Balls  Cricket Balls

A cricket ball is a hard, solid ball used to play cricket. A cricket ball consists of a cork core wound with string then a leather cover stitched on, and manufacture is regulated by cricket law at first-class level.

What is Red ball, White ball, Pink ball in Cricket ?

RED BALL

In India, the red ball used for both first-class and Test cricket is known as SG, which stands for Sansparelis Greenlands. In use since the early 90s, its wider seam enables spinners to have a better grip on the ball which makes it perfect for the spin-friendly conditions of India.

WHITE BALL

White balls were introduced when one-day matches began being played at night under floodlights, as they are more visible at night; all professional one-day matches are now played with white balls, even when they are not played at night.

PINK BALL

The pink ball cricket test is a day night test cricket played with a pink colored ball instead of a red colored one. It is hence called the pink ball cricket. The pink ball was used as it was easier to spot the ball under the lights for day night test match. It was hence called the daynight ball.

How are Cricket balls made ?

If you  have ever heard true Cricket enthusiasts talk then you might have come cross the term "the sound of leather on willow" , this is very popular cricketing cliche. The cricket ball has a hard exterior that makes the spherical shape around the cork at the core of the ball.

Beneath the layers of these hard leather sheets, a chnk of cork is placed as the core. The cork piece is spun around strings that tightly wound the cork and slowly form a bigger spherical shape. 

Then all the components are weighed and checked according to the universal standards of the cricket ball i.e 155.9 - 163.0 grams . Soon after the wighting, a specific leather is selected and cut into four pieces. These pieces are placed together covering the string - spun chunk of cork, and then the balls is stiched around the "equator" of the ball. This stitch forms a raised seam , which helps players grip the ball.

The final stage of this process is to choose a dye for the wrapped leather. The three main dyes that are widely used are white, red and pink. Once the dye is finalized the ball is stamped with the manufacture's company name and several cost of polish are applied to the ball. 

Difference between the Red, White, Pink balls

Red vs White

Cricket was initially played with a red ball until matches started getting more time bound and specific. Today the red ball is used during test matches whereas the white ball is popularly known to be used in T20 and one-day. The weight of the white ball and test cricket ball is same. over the years, many enthusians have done legimate analysis and research on how the ball affects the game. 

Crickets expersts have concluded the following from intensive research and observation :

1. White ball were first suggested only because of the visibility aspect of the game. Dark dark balls were not visible during matches that went on for a longer period of time. The white ball was later widely accepted by the audience as well since viewers found that thay could follow the game better than before. The white ball really pops on the screen and is  even visible distinctly from a distance. White cricket leather ball used in IPL too. 

2. Experts say that the white ball is generally more polished than the red one to make it shinier and visible on the field. The shine come from the extra coat of polish on the surface of the ball. This smoothness actually removes a lot of resistance from the generic red ball and thus, swings more compared to its red and pink counterparts.

3. Since the white ball has a finer and smoother finish, the surface of the ball becomes a little harder than that compared to a red pink ball. The does not have a major effect on the game but many bowlers have used this trait of the ball to thier advantage. 

Red vs pink

The red and pink cricket ball are not that different from each other, visibility is the main concern of people, pink balls have been introduced in long test matches. 

Both the balls are manufactured in the same process and materials, the following are the main differences between the two balls. 

1. Since both pink and red cricket balls are manufactured in the same way, there is no difference in its core component, or in the stitched process. One of the most notable difference is that the red ball is stitched with white thread while the pink is stiched with black thread. 

2. Wax is applied to the red ball to make it shiner. This helps bowlers reverse swing the ball by constantly rubbing and maintaining one side of the ball. Apart from the swing, the wax only gives the red ball its cherry color. But the same wax makes the pink ball changes its color to  black. That's why a pu- based coat is used on the pink ball to make it look brighter. 

3. There is a noticable  difference in the seams of the two balls. The seam of the pink ball is more firm and pronounced, it helps the players grip the ball properly. The seam material is an equal mix of synthetic and linen. Whereas the seam of the red ball is purrely synthetic. This manufacturing difference is maintained due to the time of the  game. Because red balls are used in games that end before the sun sets, whereas pink cricket balls are used in games that often start at nnoonand go on until dark. 

White vs Pink

The white and pink ball are more similar than they seem. The whole point to choose these two colours was for the visibility of the ball during dark conditions ( or where there are yellow floodlights) . The pink ball has been recently introduced to test games and is slowly finding its way into ODI and other matches. 

1. The white ball and the pink ball have slightly different seams. Just like the red ball, the seam of the white ball is cripser and the fully synthetic. This helps with the grip of the ball. But the seam of the pink ball is a miture of linen and synthetic. 

2. The white ball requires a lot of polishing and coating. This makes the white ball a lighter heavier than the red and pink balls. Because of its smooth surface,  the white ball swings well. The pink ball, however, is not polished as much as the white one and is lighter than its counterpar. This makes the pink ball swings even more than the white and red ones.  

The pink ball has arguably been debated upon, wheather the ball will change the course of the game or not, but only time can give us more accurate conclusions. 

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