Big Bash ball to blast off in men’s and women’s Victorian Premier Cricket T20s

Cricket Victoria is set to overhaul the ball used for it’s premier T20 competitions in line with a request from its high performance division.

A new ball will be flying in Victorian Premier Cricket next season.

Kookaburra’s “Turf’’ ball – which is used in international and first-class matches – has been adopted for men’s and women’s First XI Twenty20 fixtures.

The change was outlined to club presidents last night.

It means T20 Premier matches will use the same ball as the Big Bash Leagues.

Cricket Victoria’s high performance division requested the change, wanting a consistency in approach.

It’s in line with the appointments of Clint McKay (Melbourne Stars) and Wade Seccombe (Melbourne Renegades) as T20 high performance managers.

Wade Seccombe has left his Brisbane Heat and Queensland coaching roles to take up a role with Cricket Victoria. Picture: Josh Woning

They will work in talent management and ID with a focus on T20 cricket as CV attempts to develop more players for its Big Bash franchises.

“It’s around trying to assimilate to the next level,’’ Victorian Premier Cricket manager Darren Anderson said of the Turf ball move.

“Players who are coming back or trying to put their best foot forward to reach the next level will be using the same kind of ball, having that consistency.’’

The “Regulation’’ ball will continue to be used in all two and one-day matches.

The “Turf’’, Kookaburra’s highest graded ball, is hand-stitched, has a five-layered centre and a slightly flatter seam than the “Regulation’’.

Detail of white Kookaburra 'Turf' cricket ball. Picture: Visionhaus

The Premier competitions in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania play with the Turf ball, Western Australia goes with the Regulation and NSW has a mix, using the Turf for white-ball cricket and Regulation for red.

“People say it (Turf) behaves slightly differently,’’ Anderson said.

“It doesn’t do as much because of the smaller seam and bowlers have to work a bit harder. Because it doesn’t move around as much, batters can take advantage and play their shots. So it therefore it makes the bowlers have to use their guile a bit more, as they do in a BBL game, and batters can free their hands and know they’re not going to nick off or get a ball that’s going to swing or seam all over the place.’’

All men’s T20 matches next season will be played before the first round of the BBL.

There were four men’s T20s last season but there will be six in 2024-25, allowing the 18 clubs to play each other once.

The men’s Twenty20s will be played as tripleheaders. Each club will host two days, giving volunteers time off.

Anderson said the early starts produced conditions conducive to movement, making the Turf ball more suitable for matches.

The women will play eight T20s and finals.

Their season will start on Sunday, October 6, the day after the men.

Officials have also introduced a super over for all one-day and T20 grand finals if scores are tied.

Originally published as Big Bash ball to blast off in men’s and women’s Victorian Premier Cricket T20s