Cricket ball care: storage, inspection and the rules during play

Separate match and practice balls

Keep new match balls in a clearly identified place and record the required model for the competition. Store practice balls separately, grouping them by type and condition where that helps the session. A bag containing a mixture of soft, heavy and leather balls can create confusion. Everyone involved in a drill should know which type is being used. Colour alone cannot establish hardness or suitability, so rely on known products and clear organisation rather than a quick glance.

Store dry without aggressive treatment

After use, follow the manufacturer’s storage guidance and keep balls away from prolonged damp, strong heat and contamination. Do not leave a wet leather ball sealed against sweaty clothing for days. Gentle drying and appropriate ventilation are different from heating, soaking or applying chemicals. A ball that has become misshapen or damaged needs assessment for its intended role. Storage cannot reverse every effect of use, and a neatly polished appearance does not prove that the construction remains consistent.

Inspect shape, cover and seam

Before practice, look for splits, loose cover sections, exposed material and obvious changes in shape. Do not pull at the stitching or cut a damaged area to see what is inside while planning to keep using the ball. A seam that looks different after ordinary wear is not automatically a problem, but significant damage deserves removal from the planned activity. Ask the coach whether an older ball still serves a useful safe purpose rather than treating every leftover as suitable net equipment.

During matches, use the current rules

Ball-handling rules are specific and can change through Laws and playing conditions. Ask the umpire or consult the current official guidance if uncertain about cleaning, drying or polishing. Do not add unapproved substances, pick at the seam or use tools to alter the surface. A teammate’s account of an old match is not a reliable rule source. The fact that a treatment is sold as a care product does not establish that players may apply it during competition.

Do not repair a match ball yourself

If a match ball appears damaged, tell the umpire what can actually be observed: for example, an opening in the cover, a loose section or a change noticed after a particular incident. Keep the ball available for the official assessment and let the officials manage any replacement under the adopted conditions. Do not privately substitute another ball, trim material or glue the cover while the decision is pending. For a team equipment note, record the match and the official action afterward; a player’s own diagnosis should not be entered as an established defect. That separates reporting useful facts from deciding a remedy that belongs to the match authorities.

Use practice balls for a defined purpose

A selection of known conditions can be useful when a coach deliberately plans it, but random variations can make feedback confusing. For a basic drill, reasonably consistent equipment may help players understand the task. A damaged ball should not be assigned to a child or close-catching activity merely because it is no longer good enough for batting nets. Hardness remains relevant. Match the actual condition and ball type to the supervised activity, protection and facility.

Keep an honest condition record for a club

A simple container label or equipment log can note model, approximate use and any reason a ball was withdrawn. This is more useful than applying a cosmetic treatment to hide wear. Dispose of or repurpose unusable equipment responsibly without allowing it back into the wrong drill. When buying replacements, confirm the specification instead of ordering by colour and price alone. Good care supports traceability and appropriate use; it does not aim to make all balls behave identically forever.

Keep practice-ball care separate from match-ball authority

Sort the bag by task, not by how many balls fit inside

A coach opening a practice bag needs to know what will be fed next. Separate clearly identified match-standard practice balls, softer introductory balls and worn balls kept for a specific controlled drill. Do not alternate them at random while a batter expects a consistent pace or bounce. The useful label is the model or type and its intended use, not a claim that every old red ball is interchangeable. Removing an unsuitable ball can improve the session more than increasing the quantity available.

After rain, a ball may look normal on one side and retain moisture or a changed shape elsewhere. Let it dry by the allowed method, then examine the whole cover and seam before assigning it a task again. A soft-ball coordination activity and a hard-ball net impose different demands, so do not downgrade a questionable hard ball into a supposedly harmless object merely by calling the drill casual. If the condition no longer suits the activity, stop using it there.

In a match, responsibility is different. Players should not secretly repair a seam, apply substances or alter the surface to recover a preferred feel. If the ball is damaged, lost or thought unfit, raise it through the officials and the relevant conditions. This distinction protects both fairness and clear recordkeeping: a club’s permitted storage routine after practice is not an authority to change an in-play ball. Keep any spare match balls identifiable so the organiser can manage replacements correctly.

Sorting balls after a session

1. Return used practice balls to an inspection area, not straight into the match-ball box.
2. Separate moisture, shape and seam concerns.
3. Assign a known suitable purpose or withdraw the ball.
4. Use the official process for any ball problem during a match.