Pink cricket ball for MCC-Durham curtain raiser

LONDON - The annual curtain raiser match between the MCC and Durham, the Champion County, will be played under floodlights with a pink ball which is likely to change the future of Test cricket

The annual curtain-raiser has shifted to Abu Dhabi where Durham will meet an MCC side boasting experience in the form of Mark Ramprakash and promise in the diminutive shape of James Taylor, Leicestershire’s talented 20-year-old batsman.

Keith Bradshaw, the chief executive of the MCC, said today’s match will be played under floodlights with a pink ball, an innovative way to make longer version of the game interesting.

“If the ball stacks up here, performs well, holds its shine and shape and the players have good visibility, then that’s as good a test as any,” The Independent quoted him, as saying.

“I would like to think that if the tests go well and the ball stacks up that we could implement this fairly quickly,” he said.

“The research we undertook showed there was a willingness among fans to attend day-night Test cricket.

“I would encourage the ICC and other boards that if the trial goes well, let’s implement it as soon as we can. If it stacks up and we get good reports, then why not?” (ANI)