Pink Ball and Day-Night Test Cricket
Also known as: pink ball, pink ball cricket, pink ball test, day night test, day-night test match, batting against the pink ball
The pink ball is used in day-night Test matches, where play continues under floodlights. Batters often find it harder to see, especially at dusk. In a survey of elite players, the pink ball was rated less visible than the red ball when batting and fielding. It was rated hardest to see at dusk under lights.
A red ball is hard to see under floodlights, and a white ball does not suit the white clothing worn in Tests. The pink ball was the answer for day-night Tests. Under ICC Test playing conditions, a home board can ask the ICC to approve a day-night Test. The match must still have six hours of scheduled play each day. Sight-screens for day-night Tests are white or black, as the home board decides.
The main batting difficulty is seeing the ball. A 2021 study surveyed elite cricketers about the pink ball. They rated it less visible than the red ball when batting and when fielding. Dusk under floodlights was rated the hardest time to see it. The authors suggested governing bodies consider a break in play at dusk.
Many players also report that the pink ball moves around more in the evening session. That is player opinion, so treat it as something to watch for rather than a rule. Practical batting plans are simple. Expect the twilight session to be the toughest. Play late, leave well, and protect your wicket until the light settles.
Tips by skill level
If you play a pink-ball game, practise under lights first. Get used to the colour before the match.
Plan for the dusk session. Bat tight, rotate the strike and save risky shots for when your eyes have adjusted.
Example
In a day-night Test, the openers survive the afternoon. As the sun sets and the floodlights take over, they tighten up and leave anything wide, knowing this is the hardest time to see the ball.
Why it matters
Day-night Tests add a new set of conditions to plan for. Knowing when the pink ball is hardest to see helps batters and captains manage risk.
Common mistakes
- Playing expansive shots in the twilight session
- Assuming the pink ball behaves exactly like the red ball
- Practising only in daylight before a day-night match
Frequently asked questions
Why is the pink ball harder to bat against?
Mainly because it is harder to see, especially at dusk under floodlights. Elite players surveyed in a 2021 study rated it less visible than the red ball. Many players also say it can move more in the evening.
When is the pink ball used?
In day-night Test matches, which run into the evening under floodlights. A home board needs ICC approval to stage one.
Sources
- ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective Oct 2026), clause 12.7.12 (Day/night Test matches: ICC approval, six hours' scheduled play), p. 25
- ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective Oct 2026), Appendix, clause 2.3.1 (sight-screens white or black for day/night Tests), p. 87
- Maguire et al. (2021), 'Cricketers are not tickled pink by the new coloured ball', Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 24(2): pink ball rated less visible than red when batting and fielding; least visible at dusk under floodlights
Related terms
- Test CricketTest cricket is the oldest, longest, and most prestigious format of the sport — played over up to five days between two national teams, with each side receiving two innings and ten wickets to be dismissed.
- New BallThe new ball is a freshly manufactured cricket ball at the start of an innings (or available after a set number of overs). This swings and seams most readily due to its hard, lacquered surface and prominent seam.
- Cricket Ball Types: Red, White, Pink and BrandsDukes and Kookaburra are two makers of leather cricket balls, and both must meet the same Law 4 size and weight limits. The difference is the maker, not the rules. In Tests each home board picks the brand. Dukes supplies all Tests in England, Ireland and the West Indies.
- Batting Against the New BallThe new ball is hard and shiny with a raised seam. It swings, seams and bounces most. Against it, know your off stump, leave well, play late with soft hands and score mostly from balls on your pads or short and wide. Once the shine and hardness fade, batting usually gets easier.
- Leaving the BallLeaving the ball means choosing not to play at a delivery and lifting your bat and hands up out of its path. As a result, it goes through to the keeper. Leave balls you judge will miss the stumps, usually those wide of off stump or bouncing over the top. Move your feet into position first, then lift the bat high and keep watching the ball until it passes you.
Cricket analysis is in development
Motion Lab does not analyze this sport yet. Keep exploring the terms in this section.