Swinging the Red and White balls

[honestbharani]

What makes the difference between swinging the red ball and the white ball? I mean, I see guys like Lee, Bond and Pathan swinging the white ball prodigiously and then, when they get the red ball, the swing is not so pronounced, sometimes they don't even swing it a little bit. What makes this difference? And the opposite seems to happen with Balaji. He swings the red ball really big and yet, he doesn't produce the same amount of swing with the white ball. For Bond and Lee, this is not that big a problem as it is for Pathan, who doesn't have their pace and ends up useless in Tests sometimes.

 

[luckyeddie]

No-one seems to know.

The balls are supposed to be identical in composition and texture.

My guess is that it's just the fact that the white ball is used on a pitch that has been prepared for a one-day game, i.e. it's not a 'fresh' wicket. Often the wicket has been used previously in the season for a 4 or 5 day game, but if not it's almost always devoid of grass - consequently more abrasive.

That doesn't explain the new ball swinging, though. Perhaps the lacquer is different?

 

[aussie]

its very strange they say that the white ball is made just like the red one but who are they kidding it must be different i have established that with my experience of bowling with both these balls in youth cricket....

 

[Lyell_Chris]

bbc did a test and murali got more spin with the white ball

 

[honestbharani]

I think it should be something about the lacquer. But personally, I haven't played with a white ball, although I did steal one from a Warney sixer during the WC 96 quaterfinals against NZ at Chennai.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I think it should be something about the lacquer. But personally, I haven't played with a white ball, although I did steal one from a Warney sixer during the WC 96 quaterfinals against NZ at Chennai.

I think you're on the money there, talking about the lacquer. It's why a white ball doesn't really "shine", as such, and no matter what they say, there does seem to be something different about the white balls. They get softer a lot easier, they reverse a lot earlier, and the swing doesn't last as long.

 

[honestbharani]

I think you're on the money there, talking about the lacquer. It's why a white ball doesn't really "shine", as such, and no matter what they say, there does seem to be something different about the white balls. They get softer a lot easier, they reverse a lot earlier, and the swing doesn't last as long.

And when it does last, I think the swing is more pronounced than even the red ball.

 

[tooextracool]

What makes the difference between swinging the red ball and the white ball? I mean, I see guys like Lee, Bond and Pathan swinging the white ball prodigiously and then, when they get the red ball, the swing is not so pronounced, sometimes they don't even swing it a little bit.

bond swings the red ball a fair bit actually, and has done so plenty of times.

 

[honestbharani]

Then how come he hasn't been as successful as he has been in ODIs? I haven't seen too much of his test performances. He did swing the ball during India's tour to NZ but in those conditions, even Kumble got a couple to swing. Anyways, the fact still remains that some guys swing the white ball more than the red ball and a few swing the red ones more than the white ones. Don't really know how that works.

 

[tooextracool]

Then how come he hasn't been as successful as he has been in ODIs? I haven't seen too much of his test performances. He did swing the ball during India's tour to NZ but in those conditions, even Kumble got a couple to swing. Anyways, the fact still remains that some guys swing the white ball more than the red ball and a few swing the red ones more than the white ones. Don't really know how that works.

you cant swing the ball whenever you please though, you can only get the ball to swing when the conditions assist swing bowling. for example in australia the ball rarely ever swings conventionally and its not particularly surprising that bowlers like hoggard struggled significantly there.
when bonds got the chance to swing the ball hes done it, and even in the recent series against zimbabwe, he swung the ball around corners.
as far as the swing with the white ball and red ball is concerned, i dont think too many people know why the white ball swings more, but it is obvious that it does swing a bit more, as we saw in the natwest series where both mcgrath and lee swung it consistently.

 

[honestbharani]

I wonder if anyone has an answer to this now.. It has been 8 years.. Maybe the newer posters could shed some light?