Tape ball cricket – a stepping stone for leather ball cricket
View(s):The innovation of ‘Tape Ball Cricket’ began in our neighbouring country Pakistan.
With the subsequent popularity it gained in South Asian countries like Bangladesh and the Maldives, it spread out as a popular alternative in countries like India, West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and even America in years that followed.
As an outcome of the remedial measure sought to overcome the shortcomings in playing cricket with rubber or tennis balls, the introduction of the tape ball is considered the landmark achievement in the production of Pakistan’s fearsome fast bowlers, famous all over the world, which in fact was the secret of their success in cricket.
By systematically wrapping the surface of a tennis ball with some type of adhesive tape (often insulation tape used in electrical work) in a uniform manner, the weight and the traction of the ball is increased in turn enabling greater bounce and speed that is ultimately of immense benefit to the fast bowlers. As a further improvement, the addition of an extra layer of tape around one circumference, gives the effect of the seam enabling a swing to be obtained
from it.
At the same time this ball is also responds forcefully to powerful batting and stroke play.
A noteworthy feature of this innovation is that it tends to provide the conventional movements of the leather ball to a considerable extent.
When cricket is played with the leather ball a considerable effort is required from the bowler to extract speed and bounce as well as to control the line, direction and length. Stronger bats are required for this purpose, while it also poses a constant threat to batsmen and fielders, who may be at the receiving end and sustain serious injuries.
Proper equipment, pitches and grounds are costly basic requirements for leather ball cricket, where as the tape ball is the ideal solution to the vexing issue for low and middle income cricket enthusiast.
Taking into consideration, the safety and the less complex playing conditions, younger players could be diverted to tape ball cricket early in life and re-channeled to leather ball cricket in the later stages.
Tape ball cricket could thus be considered a sound compromise between safety and desire to participate in the game at
all costs.
We should be in a position to visualise the revolutionary impact that the tape ball is having on Sri Lanka cricket, and gain the maximum possible benefits from the game of ‘Tape Ball Cricket’.