Batting averages in Test cricket have been on a steady decline over the past few years. But it's not just the players themselves who are responsible – the Kookaburra ball has had a significant role to play as well.
Perhaps more than any other sport in the world, cricket is influenced by factors outside the ambit of the participants' raw skills. Pitch and weather conditions are the main ones, but the actual equipment (i.e., bats and balls) are significant as well.
There are regulations on bats and balls, the centre of attention in the sport – maximum and minimum weights and sizes the main consideration. But when it comes to balls, the difference between manufacturers has gradually become more and more of a point of contention.
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One of the three manufacturers of international balls, Kookaburra – Sanspareil Greenlands (SG) and Dukes are the other two – made a few significant changes to their red ball in late 2020/early 2021.
The seam of the Kookaburra is stitched by machine, not by hand, and is therefore less prominent, compared to the Dukes and SG balls. This means it generally swings less when new, and what little swing is generated diminishes at a faster rate.
Repeated complaints from players prompted two major changes in 2021 – one, a plastic lining under the seam which helped it "stand up" a bit more, and two, an extra layer of lacquer on the ball.
The first was intended to increase the amount of swing, and the second to increase the duration. In addition, a more prominent seam can also aid movement off the pitch for fast bowlers, and help spinners grip it more tightly.
The following chart shows how batting averages in Test cricket have changed since 2014. Countries in blue are those that use the Kookaburra ball, yellow the Dukes and black the SG.
One thing is evident – batting averages have largely been on the decline since 2020, even in countries which do not use the Kookaburra ball (India, England, West Indies). In 2024, only two countries – Pakistan and Sri Lanka have seen a batting average of over 30.
Much of this is down to the incentivising of wins due to the format of the World Test Championship. Home teams may now prepare slightly more extreme pitches in an effort to force a result. Another reason is riskier short-form batting creeping into the Test game, as well as the new weapon of the wobble-seam ball.
Long read: The story of the wobble-seam, the ball that changed cricket
What does the Kookaburra have to do with all this?
The effect of the reinforced Kookaburra seems to have been in play as well – the trends in Australia and South Africa point us this way.
It still doesn't swing as much as the Dukes ball, according to players who were interviewed after it was trialled in England's County Championship earlier this year. But by the looks of things, it has been enough for it to wreak havoc in these countries.
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Pitches in Australia and South Africa are renowned for their pace and bounce. Before the change in the Kookaburra, these were what provided some relief to pace bowlers in particular. Once the newness of the ball wore off and the swing died down, they could rely on banging the ball into the deck to trouble the opposition.
But since 2021, bowlers who grew up learning how to use those wickets this way have been handed a ball that does a little bit more for a little bit longer, especially early on, making them that extra bit more potent. It's a bit like moving a shooter's target from 50m away to 30m. You still need skill, but your task is made that bit easier.
The World Test Championship began with the 2019-21 cycle, but what if there had also been one between 2017-19? 🤔
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 12, 2024
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Averages in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand haven't quite plummeted in the same fashion, most likely because they don't offer the extra pace and bounce that Australian and South African pitches do. In the last few years, Pakistan in particular have also dished out more than their fair share of absolute roads.
In addition, bowlers from those teams probably aren't quite at the level of these two sides in this timeframe, so that is also a factor.
Whether this tilts the balance of Test cricket too far in favour of the ball is up for debate. There's also the aspect of broadcasters potentially becoming unhappy with a loss of revenue if Test matches don't last four or five days.
But as far as the entertainment aspect of it goes, this year in particular has been a golden one for cricket's longest format. It may just be the novelty of bowlers hitting back, as it were, but we're in for some ride if things remain this way.
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