Cricket / Baseball Confused

At a baseball game they may go through 4 dozen or more baseballs. The reason is that any scuff or abrasion on the surface can make it easier for the pitcher to curve the ball when thrown toward the batsman. The umpire will inspect the ball being used frequently to insure it is free from scuffs. If the ball isn't free of scuffs or damage, a new ball will be entered into play.

In my very limited understanding of cricket, the bowler has to bounce the ball when thrown toward the batsman.

OK, I don't understand how any adulteration of the ball could provide any advantage to the bowler.

You have answered your own question when giving the reason why the baseball is changed. The bowler typically bounces the ball on the pitch before the batsmen however movement through the air can still influence where the ball ends up. There would be plenty of YouTube videos showing how far a ball can move. Unpredictable movement is difficult for the batsmen and can result in playing at the wrong ball leading to a dismissal.

Rich, the bowler BOWLS the ball towards the batsman, he does not throw it. If the ball is thrown
by the bowler it is deemed a "no ball"and the batting team is awarded a run.

If the ball was changed every time it had a mark or two on it the cost in balls would be enormous.

Part of the game is having both bowlers and batsmen deal with the changing condition of the ball.
Deliberately altering the condition of the ball is, as they say, not cricket.

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Originally Posted by rrich

At a baseball game they may go through 4 dozen or more baseballs. The reason is that any scuff or abrasion on the surface can make it easier for the pitcher to curve the ball when thrown toward the batsman. The umpire will inspect the ball being used frequently to insure it is free from scuffs. If the ball isn't free of scuffs or damage, a new ball will be entered into play.

In my very limited understanding of cricket, the bowler has to bounce the ball when thrown toward the batsman.

OK, I don't understand how any adulteration of the ball could provide any advantage to the bowler.

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Many Cricket games are played over much longer periods (eg 3 to 5 days) than baseball matches. Balls are changed about every 480 "bowls" which takes around 5-6 hours. The balls start out hard and shiny and have a particular true high bounce character, but then the balls get softer and less shiny. Its totally legal for fielders and bowlers (pitchers) to maintain the shine on one side by rubbing it on their crotch. Each team typically has a pair of fast bowlers that bowl (pitch) when the ball is hard and shiny, a swing bowler that can mover the ball from side to side, and at least one "spin bowler" that can take advantage of the slow decay of the ball condition.

When an older ball is "spun" by a spin bowler because it has more grip on one side it can move the ball a long the ball sideways, or if it lands on the shiny side it will skid through on line - all of course to challenge the batsman. Even the seam of the ball effects the bounce so bowlers usually try to bounce or spin the ball off the seam. If the ball can be adulterated early on its life cycle when it's unscuffed, shiny and hard, when the batsmen expects it to bounce true, the bowler might get an advantage. Despite all this the batsmen can occasionally make hundreds of runs before they are out - unlike the baseball round bat the huge advantage of a wider flat cricket bat has to be negated otherwise the batsman would rarely get out.

All this involves much more long term strategic planning, eg who fields, bats, bowls, where and when and for how long etc.
Add to this the the key variables of any change to the weather, ball and the pitch (thin grass covering left on a clay like substrate) that the bowler bounces the ball on. Being caught out in only one of 9 ways a batsman can get out.

This makes cricket a game of high complexity. I disliked playing cricket as a kid, I was usually placed in the outfield where I spent many boring hours chasing balls and not paying attention. However, later I realised if I had listened to the coach and captain, it does teach elements of patience, observation, continually paying attention (you might only get one chance to get someone out), and long term planning, that no other game really does. Not that I have done much of it, if anything it's more like a large scale military battle, hunting or wildlife photography than other kinds of sport. There are many short forms of the game but they involve less strategy and are more like a military skirmish than a full on battle.

The only sport in the world where being a skilled ball polisher is a compliment. ;) ;) ;)

Thank you mates! These posts have been an incredible enlightenment.

A little bit more info here.

Cricket is the Chess of sport. I doubt there's a more complex or intriguing game.

Rrich, this is spin bowling at it's best.

There are at least two times in this compilation where you can see the ball spinning like a flying saucer, the top half is as shiny red as a new ball, then there is the seam in the middle, sort of like the equator on a global map of the world. Underneath the seam, the ball is as rough as it could be from coming in contact with the ground. It is this rough side that makes contact with the ground and launches the ball towards the wicket or the batsmen's legs, either of which could mean the batsman is out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVk-PybLfgs

Mick.

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Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

A little bit more info here.

Cricket is the Chess of sport. I doubt there's a more complex or intriguing game.

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The fine influence of The British! If there is anything that The Brits are famously good at - it's taking something and adding immeasurable sophistication... And I love the sort of things they come up with... What I always find funny though is that we see the massive sophistication on one end which ironically meets it's match where they completely cop out on the other end....

Take British fishing for example... Wonderful perfectly calibrated rods.. The finest and strongest gossamer lines... Speicalized custom shaped hooks with chemically sharpened points... Very carefully crafted and fitted lead weights which are exactly calibrated for the specific combination of bobber action, water current conditions in the swim, and the shyness of the fishes bite... Special electronic bite alarms with bluetooth connection to your Iphone.. Special radio GPS controlled toy feeder boats which drop a specific load of carefully mixed and chosen feed to exactly the same spot every time.. Special tents, chairs, and rod holder rigs to camouflage you from being seen... And then the hook is baited with a piece of hot dog, canned cheese, or a raisin out of the lunch box - and no wonder they have trouble catching fish... Nothing on earth eats that stuff except your kids and the dog... ;) ;)

Or even British chisels... The finest steel in the world perfectly and expertly forged and heat treated... Every sort of pattern you could ask for... Delicate and finely crafted ones for paring with the perfect feel in hand... Heavily made for chopping mortises to exact patterns.. Comfortable in hand.. Strong under the mallet.... And then sharpened on a brick out at the jobsite... ;) ;)

And then Cricket.. All the sophistication and strategy which meets it's ultimate end with the part of the rules which include polishing the game balls with your own. No other country could come up with this sort of thing except the British. ;) ;) ;). I love it!

Mick,
Thank you!
Even with my lack of understanding of the game, that is incredible 'bowling'!

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Originally Posted by Optimark

Rrich, this is spin bowling at it's best.

There are at least two times in this compilation where you can see the ball spinning like a flying saucer, the top half is as shiny red as a new ball, then there is the seam in the middle, sort of like the equator on a global map of the world. Underneath the seam, the ball is as rough as it could be from coming in contact with the ground. It is this rough side that makes contact with the ground and launches the ball towards the wicket or the batsmen's legs, either of which could mean the batsman is out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVk-PybLfgs

Mick.

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And for a little (slightly cheeky) balance, here’s some pretty devastating fast bowling off the seam. White Lightning and the Ginger Ninja vs the Waugh brothers - how to make two world class batsmen look very uncomfortable :)

https://youtu.be/CGBS-HwG55s

Wow, that is some GREAT new ball bowling, particularly from Alan Donald! Those boys must have had some bruises that night! However, I reckon the umpire roughed the ball up while he was fishing it out of the box......:D

As an aside, when my father was the Principal of Panania Public School he had the Waugh twins there. They had "quite a cricket team"!

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As an aside, when my father was the Principal of Panania Public School he had the Waugh twins there. They had "quite a cricket team"!

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I was at school with their father, Rodger. He was a top tennis & squash player, and IIRC, he also played soccer.