The Condition of the Cricket Ball — How It Ages and Why It Matters

The New Ball

A new cricket ball is hard, shiny on both sides, and has a prominent raised seam. It bounces high and swings significantly through the air. New balls are taken at the start of each innings — and in Tests, a second new ball is available after 80 overs (optional for the fielding captain to take). Fast bowlers love the new ball because of the pace, bounce, and swing it provides.

As the Ball Ages

After 20–30 overs, the ball softens, loses some of its swing, and one side typically deteriorates faster than the other. The fielding team deliberately maintains one side ('the good side') by applying sweat or polishing it on their clothing, while allowing the other side to rough up naturally from hitting the ground. This differential condition is the physical basis of conventional swing and, later, reverse swing.

Reverse Swing Trigger

Once the ball is approximately 35–40 overs old, the conditions that produce reverse swing emerge: one side is smooth and shiny (maintained), the other is heavily worn and rough (deliberately roughened). The ball now swings in the opposite direction to conventional — the worn side behaves differently from the smooth side aerodynamically, creating reverse swing. Fast bowlers who can bowl at 85+ mph can generate devastating reverse swing with a 40-over-old ball.

Limited-Overs Cricket and Ball Condition

In T20Is, only 20 overs are bowled per team — too few for the ball to significantly age. Teams in T20I use one ball from each end in some formats. In ODIs (50 overs), two new balls are used simultaneously (one from each end) under ICC rules — introduced in 2012. Both balls age in parallel, meaning reverse swing rarely fully develops in ODIs, but conventional swing with the newer ball at each end is consistent throughout the innings.