• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Tennis-ball / Tape-ball Cricket

Lokomotiv

U19 Cricketer
Tried them, they're pretty good. I've talked my local cricket association into replacing taped tennis balls with these as a trial next season in everything but A-grade backyard matches. The results will be interesting, and let's just say it's caused some controversy…
O, I am delighted with that. Although I do not know which State (or Northern Territory) of Australia, I hope that gum-balls will be used in your State and Australia's national team.
 

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
O, I am delighted with that. Although I do not know which State (or Northern Territory) of Australia, I hope that gum-balls will be used in your State and Australia's national team.
Yeh, look, it's a tentative first step, and only a trial. But could be as big a revolution as adding the third stump or the introduction of the boundary rope.
 

Lokomotiv

U19 Cricketer
Yeh, look, it's a tentative first step, and only a trial. But could be as big a revolution as adding the third stump or the introduction of the boundary rope.
O, in the old days wickets had only 2 stump? I did not know that!
 

KiWiNiNjA

International Coach
In the old days they had no stumps, but just a funny shape on the ground.

It looked like this, I think.
 

BeeGee

International Captain
So how difficult is hitting tape-ball long in comparison with hard-ball?
Depends what kind of hard ball you're talking about. My left nut is pretty hard, but I couldn't hit it further than a tape-ball. I could definitely hit a tape-ball further than a bowling ball. Not sure about a billiards ball. I could probably hit a tape-worm further than a tape-ball.

Hope this helps!
 

Lokomotiv

U19 Cricketer
Yeh, look, it's a tentative first step, and only a trial. But could be as big a revolution as adding the third stump or the introduction of the boundary rope.
Also Soft-Tennis was born in Japan, and it is a popular school-sport in Japan, but Soft-Tennis is not necessary I think. Normal Tennis ball is not hard and no danger!
 

SOPL

Cricket Spectator
I haven't posted on CW in a while, but I thought I'd contribute and add a much-needed Pakistan flavour to this thread. Most people's experiences of this variant of cricket will likely be different than mine as their games seem to be time-limited quick fixes rather than any prolonged game.

I've played tape-ball cricket as long as I can recall (since approximately the age of 7/8), and have loved every single moment of it - it was the first type of cricket that I was introduced to (began playing hard-ball cricket for a local club three years ago). I used to play it all day, from dawn to dusk (okay, that is an exaggeration but you comprehend my love for this variant of cricket from the statement).

We used to play with an unlimited overs rule because everybody used to get involved (all ages, from annoying children aged 6/7, to 16 year olds) and thus a limited amount of overs would never be sufficient for all of us to bat. There would also be the problem of counting the overs properly - nobody would bother doing it properly and would most likely cheat.

3 layers of electrical/insulation tape applied to the ball (with a slightly pronounced seam to emulate a 'corky' ball) produces a ball of substance, capable of generous speed/spin (and with a bounce similar to the 'corky' ball) but the main reason why I used to adopt this process was to ensure that when it hit, it hurt.

Not that I ever bowled pace (I'm an off-spin bowler, a rare type of bowling in tape-ball cricket which is usually deemed to be acceptable for a few overs when one becomes tired or a small target is required) unless dispatched for a few boundaries! And then I'd purposely aim for the batsman's head with a bouncer, helped by the fact that the tape-ball rewards bowlers who bend their back.

Playing with a relatively heavy and firm tape-ball on a cement wicket has honed my hard-ball cricket batting/bowling style (play an elegant cover drive and am equally dismissive of short balls with a nonchalant pull stroke) and I have developed a rather absurd way of bowling off-spin (basically a googly but squeezing the ball out with the use of the thumb and the index and middle finger).

Quite sad that I can't play it anymore though after becoming too old to play it (still a teenager but too old to play in the dense sort of communal square the children play in without getting dirty looks from house residents when the ball is dispatched into their gardens or something is damaged).

P.S: To answer your query on the first page, heavier tennis balls are indeed sometimes employed in India. Obviously not as good as tape-balls though. :P
 

Daemon

Request Your Custom Title Now!
?? I have never heard of "slow pitched softball".
By the way, Softball is used in junior athletics as substitute for Javelin throw.
How does softball relate to javelin at all? slow pitched softball is basically baseball with a larger ball and lobbed to the batter instead of properly pitched.
 

Lokomotiv

U19 Cricketer
How does softball relate to javelin at all? slow pitched softball is basically baseball with a larger ball and lobbed to the batter instead of properly pitched.
O, I was wrong. Softball is not used today. Today "Javelic Throw" is the junior/disabled sports version of the Javelin throw. I think that the current Javelin should be replaced by this.
Softball was used for development of throwing ability.

And MURAKAMI Yukihumi (Yukifumi), a bronze medalist in Javelin throw in the 2009 World Athletics, was a Baseball pitcher until 15 years old. He had great throwing ability but not good control, so he chose to change to Javelin.
 
Last edited:

BeeGee

International Captain
hahaha.
By the way, in Limited-over Cricket, is there a tactic of intentionally giving 1 run in order to avoid stronger Batsman?
Yes, but it happens more in test cricket than limited over cricket.

And in cricket the bases are always loaded, but no double plays.
 

Lokomotiv

U19 Cricketer
Yes, but it happens more in test cricket than limited over cricket.

And in cricket the bases are always loaded, but no double plays.
?? Why??
In Test Cricket, it is impossible to avoid stronger Batsman, because an innings does not end until all out or declaration.
 

Top