Making of a cricket ball, Manufacturing companies and brands, ICC regulations for cricket balls


In Modern day cricket, test cricket is played with red balls and other forms of cricket are played with white balls. In earlier days both test and one day cricket were played with traditional red balls. With day and night one day matches coming into existence, red balls became a problem under flood lights and so white balls were brought in to lime light. Cricket balls are dangerous which even caused death to some players and are hard enough to cause serious injuries.

Cricket balls are made out of leather, cork and yarn. Cork is tightly wrapped with yarn and made into a sphere. This sphere gives the required magnitude and weight to the ball. Leather is cut into circle and is put into machine and made into hemispheres.  The ends of the hemispheres are given stiches before inserting the cork. Once the hemispheres are ready, cork is put into the two hemispheres and joined and stitched together. Even today most of the tasks involved in ball making are done with hand. After the ball is finished, It is made spherical enough with the help of machines and polished.

Hemispheres made out of leather

Leather used to make cricket balls

Making the cork

Cork betweeen two hemispheres

Making the ball spherical and polishing

Stitching the two hemispheres after joining

Finished balls


Cricket balls need to follow some measurements in order to make it usable for international cricket. There are ICC regulations for weight and measurements of a ball. An usual cricket ball should weigh between 155 to 163 grams and circumference should be 224 to 299 millimeters.

Kookubura, SG , Dukes are the leading cricket ball manufacturers . Based on the country which is hosting which is hosting the match ball brands are chosen with the approval of the national cricket board.  Matches hosted by India are played with ball manufactured by SG.



BCCI approved SG balls