Cricket balls are usually leather, or at least in this country. But, India is the largest cricketing nation in the world, and predominatly Hindu. Hindus, believe the cow is a scared animal, right, and that’s why they don’t eat it?
I’d assume that turning the skin of a scared animal into a ball and hitting it with a bit of wood is frowned upon. So what do Indians use when they play Cricket?
The same stuff you do. Cows are sacred, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a cricket ball out of a dead one.
It looks to me like Hindu cricketers just bite the bullet and play with leather balls.
http://www.cowsarecool.com/sport.html
Granted, PETA is hardly an unbiased source, but…
http://www.sgcricket.com/html/CBTEST.HTM
They do offer two synthetic balls, but they are billed as “for practice”.
A related question. My cricket bat (which I bought solely for comedic intimidation of co-workers, but never got to use beacuse we were all made redundant) is made of willow. Seems pretty soft. I gave the bakk that came with it a gentle tap, and I can see an imprint of the stitching on the bat. If willow is so soft, why is it used? Are any other woods used to make cricket bats?
Indians use regular cricket balls. The biggest maker of cricket balls in the world is Indian. If a Cricket playing Indian joined PETA, then he might use something else
I’m soooooooo slow this morning. Doffs hat to DDG.
Can’t really say why willow is used, though it’s almoist certianly to do with it’s softness, but cricket bats are always made out of willow.
Rule 6 of the Laws of Cricket
So the laws states the the bat has to made of wood. An Aluminium bat was used for about 5 minutes in 1979 and was immediately banned bacuse it damaged the ball.
Why willow? It’s a combination of weight and durability. This page sums up everything better than I ever could.
Huh. That was unexpected, but sensible. So how come (if I’ve got Hindu religious laws right) you can’t kill a cow to make a hambruger, but you can kill a cow to make a cricket ball? Or do Indians only use balls made out of cows that dies of natural causes (as dutchboy208 seemed to imply)?
Johnny L.A. - Every cricket bat I’ve ever encountered has been made out of willow. They seem to stand up to most delivieries, though it is not unhard of for one to snap. I remember it was a source of pride when I was a kid that I’d hit the ball hard enough to create dimples in the bat, and especially if I’d managed to stain a circle of red where I’d made contact with the ball (a cherry).
Interesting article, Tapioca Dextrin. FWIW, my bat is made of low-quality Kashmir willow; but as I said, it’s only for use as a prop.
Since we’re now also talking about cricket bats, can anyone suggest the quickest/best method of seasoning one?
I used boiled linseed oil, but I expect that there are other methods.
Linseed oil… most bats come with two coats already, but you need to add another. Take a spoonful, rub in in with a soft cloth, and leave it face up to dry overnight. You can recoat it if you want- I’d never use more than two coats.
THEN you get to start knocking it in. You can use a regular ball (preferably a new one) but to avoid finger squishage you’ll want a mallet- essentially a cricket ball on a stick. Start out by banging it gently against the entire surface, harder in the center than around the edges. You’ll want to gradually knock harder and harder, although you don’t want to get all the way up to full power swings. Keep it up for about 3 hours, total- or as long as you possibly can. Make sure you don’t use the seam of the ball or mallet- every time you play, you’ll feel it whenever a ball hits those little seam dents.
You’ll want to oil the back of the bat too, although this isn’t as important.
If your bat cracks, sand it down and re-oil.
To answer Johnny’s question, a new willow bat is soft. A properly oiled and knocked-in bat is harder than a concrete elephant.
Ever swung an aluminium baseball bat at a baseball? Now imagine hitting a ball twice as hard as a baseball with one. Metal or hardwood cricket bats would vibrate so much on impact you wouldn’t be able to feel your fingers after a while.
Everthing that dutchboy said is accurate.Just wanted to add that if a mallet is not available put the ball inside a thin sock and tie it up loosely and hang it so as to have the whole thing at thigh length.Keep on playing practice shots wih your new bat for a couple of hours.
Now you have a nicely seasoned bat ready to use!