Cricket balls are made to tightly defined size and weight ranges, but the specification depends on the players, competition, and match format. Men’s ODI balls weigh 155.9–163 g, while women’s and Under-13 balls use smaller ranges. Match regulations also determine how many new balls are available, when replacements are allowed, and who controls them. The product figures below are listed Australian prices from Kookaburra pages, while the regulations come from the named MCC and ICC sources.
Contents
- Ball weights and circumferences
- New-ball rules in men’s ODIs
- Women’s T20I ball statistics
- Who controls the ball
- Kookaburra’s manufacturing and usage claims
- Kookaburra product prices and specifications
Ball weights and circumferences
The clearest way to compare cricket balls is to place their permitted weight and circumference ranges side by side. The figures below describe a ball when new, and the men’s range is specifically for men’s cricket rather than a universal specification.
| Ball category | New-ball weight | Circumference | Named source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s ODI | 5.5–5.75 oz (155.9–163 g) | 8.81–9.00 in (22.4–22.9 cm) | ICC Men’s ODI Match Clause 4 |
| Women’s cricket | 4.94–5.31 oz (140–151 g) | 8.25–8.88 in (21.0–22.5 cm) | MCC, The Ball |
| Under-13 junior | 4.69–5.06 oz (133–144 g) | 8.06–8.69 in (20.5–22.0 cm) | MCC, The Ball |
| Women’s T20I | 4.94–5.31 oz (140–151 g) | 8.25–8.88 in (21.0–22.5 cm) | ICC Women’s Twenty20 International Playing Conditions |
The men’s ODI range is the heaviest of the listed categories. Its lower limit is 155.9 g and its upper limit is 163 g, with a circumference from 22.4 cm to 22.9 cm. The ICC Men’s ODI Match Clause 4 states that this men’s ball specification applies to men’s cricket.
The MCC The Ball specification gives women’s cricket a 140–151 g range and a 21.0–22.5 cm circumference. That is also the range specified for ICC women’s T20Is in the ICC Women’s Twenty20 International Playing Conditions. Under-13 balls are lighter, at 133–144 g, and smaller, at 20.5–22.0 cm.
These are ranges, not claims that every ball has one exact mass or circumference. They describe the permitted dimensions for the relevant category when the ball is new. Once a match ball is used, its condition changes, and the laws contain separate provisions for replacement and new-ball requests.
New-ball rules in men’s ODIs
An ODI innings begins with a controlled supply of new balls. Under the ICC Men’s ODI Match Clause 4, each fielding team has two new balls for its ODI innings. If an ODI is reduced to 25 overs or less per side before the first innings, each team has only one new ball.
ODI home boards must provide white cricket balls of an approved standard. Spare replacement balls must be the same brand as the match ball, and the visiting board must be advised of the ball brand at least 30 days before the match starts. This means the brand is part of the pre-match information shared between boards, rather than an informal choice made after play begins.
The fielding captain or a nominee may select the ball from the supply provided by the home board. The fourth umpire must take a box containing at least six new balls to the dressing room. That six-ball figure describes the dressing-room supply requirement; it is separate from the two new balls allocated to each fielding team for a standard ODI innings.
The MCC The Ball also sets out broader match procedures for games lasting more than one day. The fielding side can demand a new ball when the old ball has been used for 80 overs or more. Either captain may demand a new ball at the start of each innings unless the teams agreed otherwise before the match.
The 80-over rule concerns a match of more than one day and should not be treated as an ODI allocation rule. The ODI provisions instead specify two new balls per fielding innings, or one per team when the match is reduced to 25 overs or less per side before the first innings.
Women’s T20I ball statistics
ICC women’s T20I matches use white Kookaburra Turf balls supplied by the ICC. The playing conditions specify one new ball at the start of each innings. The permitted weight is 140–151 g, or 4.94–5.31 ounces, and the permitted circumference is 21.0–22.5 cm, or 8.25–8.88 inches.
The women’s T20I supply rules include several brand and selection requirements. Spare balls must be the same brand as the match ball. The home board must advise the visiting board of the women’s T20I ball brand at least 30 days before the match. The women’s team captain or a nominee may select the ball or balls to bowl with from the home board’s supply.
The reserve umpire must take at least six new balls to the dressing room for women’s T20Is. When play is not taking place, the umpires keep possession of the match ball or balls. Together, these rules cover the supply before play, the single new ball beginning each innings, and custody during pauses in the match.
The women’s T20I weight and circumference match the general women’s figures listed by the MCC The Ball. That does not make the competition rules interchangeable: the ICC women’s T20I conditions additionally identify the white Kookaburra Turf ball, the ICC supply arrangement, and the one-new-ball innings procedure.
Who controls the ball
The MCC The Ball assigns the umpires a continuing custody role. All balls for a match must be in the umpires’ possession before the toss, and the umpires keep the balls under their control throughout the match.
The umpire takes possession of the ball at the fall of each wicket, at the start of any interval, and at any interruption of play. These three stated events are useful markers for understanding why a match ball is not simply left with the players whenever active delivery stops.
If a ball is lost or becomes unfit for play, the umpires replace it with a ball of comparable wear. The replacement is therefore based on condition rather than automatically being a new ball. That principle is distinct from a captain’s right to request a new ball under the conditions that apply to a match of more than one day.
For women’s T20Is, the ICC playing conditions separately state that umpires keep possession of the match ball or balls when play is not taking place. The women’s T20I rule aligns with the broader custody approach while operating alongside that competition’s white Kookaburra Turf ball requirement.
Kookaburra’s manufacturing and usage claims
Kookaburra says it has more than 130 years of experience making cricket balls. It describes its red cricket ball as the official ball supplier to the main cricket-playing nations other than India, the West Indies, and England for Test matches. Kookaburra also says its white Turf ball is used exclusively in all ODIs and T20Is worldwide.
Those statements are Kookaburra’s own descriptions of its experience, supply position, and product use. They should be read as company claims rather than independently verified measurements. Kookaburra also describes its ball as the most widely used and trusted ball in world cricket, and says its cricket balls are the number one choice for cricketers across Australia and the world.
Kookaburra says its new Turf20 ball had its first in-match trials in the NT Strike league. It says a Test ball is designed to gradually deteriorate over 80 overs. That 80-over design statement is a manufacturer description, while the MCC rule allows the fielding side to demand a new ball after 80 overs or more in a match of more than one day.
The company’s range includes two-piece balls, four-piece balls, and Super Coach training balls. Kookaburra says its four-piece balls are made from four pieces of hand-selected heavy leather steer hide and built around a cork core quilted with worsted yarn. It also says its four-piece Test ball is the ball of choice for 9 of 12 Test-playing nations.
Kookaburra product prices and specifications
The following prices are the listed Australian-dollar figures from the named Kookaburra product pages. They are product-page prices, not a calculated market average or a forecast.
| Product | Listed price | Listed weights or construction |
|---|---|---|
| Tuf Pitch | AU$59.00 | 156 g; Australian-made two-piece construction |
| Special Test | AU$58.00–AU$60.01 | 156 g, 142 g, and 135 g; Australian-made two-piece construction |
| Crown | AU$31.00–AU$35.00 | 156 g and 142 g; pronounced six-stitch seam |
| Red King | AU$48.00–AU$50.00 | 156 g and 142 g; designed for hard artificial wickets |
Kookaburra’s Tuf Pitch page lists a 156 g option, an Australian-made two-piece construction, a leather cover finished for resistance to abrasions, and a moulded granulated cork and rubber core. Its listed price is AU$59.00.
The Special Test page lists AU$58.00–AU$60.01 and three weight options: 156 g, 142 g, and 135 g. It has an Australian-made two-piece construction, a leather cover finished for artificial surfaces, and a moulded granulated cork and rubber core.
The Crown page lists AU$31.00–AU$35.00 and 156 g and 142 g sizes. It has a pronounced six-stitch seam and is described as suitable for park cricket and net training. The Red King page lists AU$48.00–AU$50.00 and the same two sizes, 156 g and 142 g. It is designed for hard artificial wickets, has a top-quality selected leather cover, and uses a moulded granulated cork and rubber centre.
Kookaburra’s 2-Piece Cricket Balls range page shows nine results. The visible products named in the supplied range information are Tuf Pitch, Special Test, Crown, Red King, Club Match, Kooka Practice, and Jaffer. The Crown page’s related-products section lists Club Match at AU$86.00–AU$88.00, Kooka Practice at AU$30.00–AU$34.00, and Jaffer at AU$37.00.
The product figures show why weight alone does not identify a ball. A 156 g option appears in Tuf Pitch, Special Test, Crown, and Red King, yet the products differ in price, construction description, seam detail, cover finish, intended surface, and stated use. For match selection, the applicable competition rule remains the controlling specification.