The New Ball in Cricket Explained
What the new ball means in cricket, when it can be taken, how it behaves differently from an old ball, and why it is one of cricket's most important strategic moments.
The cricket ball changes dramatically over the course of an innings. A new ball is hard, smooth, and swings; an old ball is soft, rough, and reverse-swings. The new ball is one of the most important strategic tools in Test cricket — when to take it, who bowls with it, and how to exploit it can determine the course of a match.
When Can You Take the New Ball?
In Test cricket, the fielding team may take the new ball at the start of each innings and after every 80 overs. The captain must specifically request the new ball — it is not automatically given. If the captain prefers to continue with the old ball (e.g., because reverse swing is working), they may decline the new ball option.
How the New Ball Behaves
- Hard leather: the new ball is firm and bounces higher and more steeply than a 60-over-old ball.
- Lacquered seam: the prominent, lacquered seam on a new ball produces more seam movement off the pitch.
- Shiny surface: both sides are shiny on a new ball, which produces conventional swing through the air when the bowler holds the seam upright.
- More pace: the hard new ball carries through to the keeper at higher pace, making it more threatening to batters.
The Old Ball
As a ball ages (30–60+ overs), one side is kept shiny by the fielding team (polished using saliva, sweat, or legal shine cloths) while the other side roughens naturally. This asymmetry creates reverse swing — where the ball swings toward the rough side rather than the shiny side. Reverse swing at 75–90 overs old is often more devastating than conventional new-ball swing.
New Ball in Limited-Overs Cricket
In T20 and ODI cricket, two new balls are used simultaneously — one from each end. Both balls are replaced at regular intervals (20 overs in ODIs). This prevents reverse swing from developing, since both balls wear at the same rate and neither becomes significantly rougher than the other. The two-new-balls rule was partly introduced to produce higher-scoring limited-overs matches.
Frequently asked questions
When can a captain take the new ball in Test cricket?
A captain can take the new ball at the start of each new innings and after every 80 overs of the same innings. The captain must specifically request it — the new ball is not given automatically.
Why does a new cricket ball swing?
A new cricket ball swings because its surface is smooth and its seam is prominent. When held at an angle with the seam upright, air flows differently over the two sides, creating an asymmetric pressure gradient that causes the ball to deviate laterally through the air. As the ball ages and both surfaces become rougher, conventional swing reduces.
What is the difference between swing and reverse swing?
Conventional swing causes the ball to move from the shiny side toward the rough side through the air, before pitching. Reverse swing causes the ball to move in the opposite direction — from the rough side toward the shiny side — and typically occurs when the ball is 40–80 overs old and travelling above a certain pace threshold.
Are two balls used in T20 cricket?
Yes — two new balls are used simultaneously in T20 and ODI cricket, one from each end. Both balls are changed at set intervals. Using two balls prevents reverse swing from developing because both balls age at the same rate and neither side becomes significantly rougher.