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Anybody know where to buy hard tennis balls from under £2.52?

You need to ask any Indian friends who is coming from India to pick up dozen or just go to India and buy em? :yk

Why not go for soft tennis ball and tape it? It swings and your shots go to distance too. #ThePakistanWay
 
cricketworm said:
You need to ask any Indian friends who is coming from India to pick up dozen or just go to India and buy em? :yk

Why not go for soft tennis ball and tape it? It swings and your shots go to distance too. #ThePakistanWay
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Sorry, no Indian friends apart from on PP :).

I do play with a normal taped tennis ball but I wonder what it must be like playing with a heavier tennis ball.
 
Hard tennis ball is fun too honestly. You can use bounce very well with it unlike tape ball, unless you play on a road. Tape ball doesn't bounce properly on grass. Also, awesome for spinners too. I can get immense leg spin with it. :warnie
 
cricketworm said:
Hard tennis ball is fun too honestly. You can use bounce very well with it unlike tape ball, unless you play on a road. Tape ball doesn't bounce properly on grass. Also, awesome for spinners too. I can get immense leg spin with it. :warnie
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And that's why it seems so great. I want to play with a hard taped tennis ball and see what the experience is like. So...any sources?

Here we don't play with the tape ball on grass surfaces (instead we just play with it on concrete surfaces).
 
Supporter of Pak legends said:
Sorry, no Indian friends apart from on PP :).

I do play with a normal taped tennis ball but I wonder what it must be like playing with a heavier tennis ball.
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It hurts a lot I can tell you that. :D You can field well with it, spin well with it and you can play your back of the stump scoring better using your wrist and late cuts, unlike mostly edges with tape ball.
 
Supporter of Pak legends said:
And that's why it seems so great. I want to play with a hard taped tennis ball and see what the experience is like. So...any sources?

Here we don't play with the tape ball on grass surfaces (instead we just play with it on concrete surfaces).
Click to expand...

I am sure there are stores in UK seeing Indian population there, I think we do get them somewhere in North America, so UK must have it.

Hard tennis ball with tape ball is no-no imo. Loses the whole purpose. You can try but won't be fun. It will reduce the elastic strength and will destroys the grip. I think you can ball cutters with hard tennis ball really well.
 
cricketworm said:
I am sure there are stores in UK seeing Indian population there, I think we do get them somewhere in North America, so UK must have it.

Hard tennis ball with tape ball is no-no imo. Loses the whole purpose. You can try but won't be fun. It will reduce the elastic strength and will destroys the grip. I think you can ball cutters with hard tennis ball really well.
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What purpose? Applying tape to the ball makes the ball heavier which further emulates a real cricket ball and allows me to practice better.
 
cricketworm said:
It hurts a lot I can tell you that. :D You can field well with it, spin well with it and you can play your back of the stump scoring better using your wrist and late cuts, unlike mostly edges with tape ball.
Click to expand...

You haven't seen my legendary hooks and drives then, have you? :asif
 
Supporter of Pak legends said:
What purpose? Applying tape to the ball makes the ball heavier which further emulates a real cricket ball and allows me to practice better.
Click to expand...

Purpose of grip. You can spin well with this, once you tape it you can't do that. It will become very soggy with one or two overs. Won't bounce properly. Anyway, up to you. You can try with tape or without it, once you find them. Let us know the experience.
 
cricketworm said:
Purpose of grip. You can spin well with this, once you tape it you can't do that. It will become very soggy with one or two overs. Won't bounce properly. Anyway, up to you. You can try with tape or without it, once you find them. Let us know the experience.
Click to expand...

I'll purchase the one you proposed. Anyway, what do you mean by 'soggy'? The grounds we play aren't wet. Elaborate on this please.
 
Supporter of Pak legends said:
Thanks Cricketworm. I've seen these tennis balls before on Amazon but have always wondered if they were as good as say the Nivia hard tennis balls. Any information on this?
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Nivia is obviously proper company. I think I have played with those.

I googled this site, not sure how long and how much will it come out to if they ship this for you.

http://www.cricketstoreonline.com/ball-nivia-heavy-tennis-ball/

Also have you heard of MRI rubber ball? They are fun too for gully cricket but with bats nowadays it will break them in half in one or two overs.
 
Supporter of Pak legends said:
I'll purchase the one you proposed. Anyway, what do you mean by 'soggy'? The grounds we play aren't wet. Elaborate on this please.
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Ok the chances are, seeing the prices of these balls, It might not last longer, also it depends on how hard or what surface do you play on.

My recommendation is try to check out some cricket sports store or ask around for cricket stores they might carry if you want to feel them before buying online.
 
cricketworm said:
It won't bounce properly on a ground. It will die in front you.
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Are you sure about this? Because on another thread, a poster claimed that he regularly played with hard tennis balls but taped and that they proved more efficient than either the normal hard tennis ball or the taped ball. Sort of like a compromise but in a good way. The only problem he declared was that the ball often became too hard and so the batsman was inclined to play with a abdominal guard on and the wicket-keeper had to wear gloves.
 
cricketworm said:
Purpose of grip. You can spin well with this, once you tape it you can't do that. It will become very soggy with one or two overs. Won't bounce properly. Anyway, up to you. You can try with tape or without it, once you find them. Let us know the experience.
Click to expand...

Unless you are as good as me....:D
 
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These are pretty awesome. MRI type hard tennis ball.
 
Supporter of Pak legends said:
Are you sure about this? Because on another thread, a poster claimed that he regularly played with hard tennis balls but taped and that they proved more efficient than either the normal hard tennis ball or the taped ball. Sort of like a compromise but in a good way. The only problem he declared was that the ball often became too hard and so the batsman was inclined to play with a abdominal guard on and the wicket-keeper had to wear gloves.
Click to expand...

It will def. have lower bounce than soft tennis ball with tape obviously. Hard tennis ball will surely lose its bounce with tape on. But if you want it to be heavier to get the closest feeling of season ball, then you probably aren't looking for the bounce. And yes, it will hurt!! Its pace will increase and you won't have enough time to react and it will hurt.

You can try it out and let us know your experience. I used to play with hard tennis ball (Without tape) on ground without grass. It was very good to field with these too.
 
cricketworm said:
With soft tennis and tape it's possible. it's bit tough with tape on hard tennis.
Click to expand...

I can bowl off-spin with the corky ball as well, not just rolling the arm over but with a REAL RIP. In fact, I've got a match tomorrow and I'll see how it goes. I also possess a deceptive (but inconsistent) doosra and I am trying to develop the top-spinner. What do you bowl?
 
cricketworm said:
It will def. have lower bounce than soft tennis ball with tape obviously. Hard tennis ball will surely lose its bounce with tape on. But if you want it to be heavier to get the closest feeling of season ball, then you probably aren't looking for the bounce. And yes, it will hurt!! Its pace will increase and you won't have enough time to react and it will hurt.

You can try it out and let us know your experience. I used to play with hard tennis ball (Without tape) on ground without grass. It was very good to field with these too.
Click to expand...

Don't worry, that's the plan (to hurt the batsman!).

On to your second point, *sigh*...It's a shame that less cricket is played whilst we get older. I might as well enjoy it whilst I still can.
 
Supporter of Pak legends said:
I can bowl off-spin with the corky ball as well, not just rolling the arm over but with a REAL RIP. In fact, I've got a match tomorrow and I'll see how it goes. I also possess a deceptive (but inconsistent) doosra and I am trying to develop the top-spinner. What do you bowl?
Click to expand...

That's pretty impressive. I like bowling fast with proper swing. I have natural outswinger. But of course I can barely bowl at 120km/hr. :)) But seriously I have very good yorker, outswinger and off cutter. Can't inswing.

But I used to play 'throw' gully cricket, or in the basement or in the class or on the terrace or any small places, I bowl both off spin and leg spin. I can ball back of the hand mega off spin, and warnie style leg spin.

I miss those days really. Don't have time to play cricket anymore sadly. And my most high school friends are in different states and are either busy studying or working. However, I have played immense amount of gully cricket in my life time, I am not sure I should be regretting. I would still won't say no if someone calls me to play cricket though, but no-one does that anymore. :( Everyone is busy with their lives at the moment. Busy in making their career.
 
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Have bowled with these, the ball just sit's up to be hit, no wonder India produces all these front foot FTBs.
 
cricketworm said:
That's pretty impressive. I like bowling fast with proper swing. I have natural outswinger. But of course I can barely bowl at 120km/hr. :)) But seriously I have very good yorker, outswinger and off cutter. Can't inswing.

But I used to play 'throw' gully cricket, or in the basement or in the class or on the terrace or any small places, I bowl both off spin and leg spin. I can ball back of the hand mega off spin, and warnie style leg spin.

I miss those days really. Don't have time to play cricket anymore sadly. And my most high school friends are in different states and are either busy studying or working. However, I have played immense amount of gully cricket in my life time, I am not sure I should be regretting. I would still won't say no if someone calls me to play cricket though, but no-one does that anymore. :( Everyone is busy with their lives at the moment. Busy in making their career.
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It is indeed sad that cricket disappears from people's lives as they get older and more involved in worldly/family issues.

Anyway, I think I've that type of cricket you have mentioned. Where you bowl under-arm, slow pace but with massive spin, right? I deceive my younger cousin (feeling rather guilty now :)) every time with sharp turn both ways. In fact, a large amount of the time, it spins past the wicket (no exaggeration there).
 
Supporter of Pak legends said:
It is indeed sad that cricket disappears from people's lives as they get older and more involved in worldly/family issues.

Anyway, I think I've that type of cricket you have mentioned. Where you bowl under-arm, slow pace but with massive spin, right? I deceive my younger cousin (feeling rather guilty now :)) every time with sharp turn both ways. In fact, a large amount of the time, it spins past the wicket (no exaggeration there).
Click to expand...

Yeh, under arm but like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NGEtmr47jE

not like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnGjb_ByEA4
 
I understand what you meant , both overarm and underarm.

Why they are getting so happy (as he only hit an UNDERARM bowler)?
 
lol no idea found some random links. People find joys even playing book cricket. :D
 
Hard Tennis balls are an ABSOLUTE HORROR to play cricket with.

The ball bounces way too much to play a front foot drive.
You mostly end up playing at midwicket due to awkward bounce
There is no concept of playing a carpet shot that could roll over the grass.
Significant danger of sustaining an injury if the ball hits you in the groin.
Fingers could be broken if a hard hit stroke is attempted to be caught in a failed attempt.
Throwing the ball back to keeper from long distance will take your arm with it.
If there is moisture around, the ball absorbs it and gets even worse

And it's all because hard tennis ball is HEAVIER than a regular hard/leather cricket ball.

-------------

If you wanna play cricket with softball and safely have TONS OF FUN then try

Wilson A1217B Soft compression Baseball or a Wilson A1228B Soft Compression Baseball.

These balls are softer than a regular baseball. They provide a perfect mix of tape ball (without having to replace the tape every few overs) and a heavy tennis ball. They are very safe if struck on the body. Their weight is perfect which provides an awesome bounce, and also the leather surface skids perfect to suit the bowlers and the batsmen. You can delightfully play regulation cricket strokes, including front foot drive that rolls the ball over the ground, and also cut shot at the back foot. The bowlers get an awesome feel of the grip as there is a seam on the balls.
Fielding and catching is wonderful and provides an actual cricket environment.
These balls are an absolute delight to play cricket with.
Once you play with them, you will NEVER go back to that junk of hard tennis ball.



ps: Not sure if you can buy them in UK but search for Wilson Soft compression baseball.
Folks in the U.S. can buy it from amazon or any sporting good store.
(There are other manufactures like Champion but those don't last long while Wilson's lasts forever).
 
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