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[TommO]

Alot of people use sweat with hair wax to help shine the ball.

[uknsaunders]

most people are missing the point with shining the ball. The skill is in keeping the thing roughed up on our lush pitches and outfields. Accidental treading on the ball can help if done without injury 

Don't forget to grip the ball correctly while shining ie. palm around one side while shining the other against the trouser, making sure your thumb is digging into the leather and lifting the seam while being obscured by the back of the hand

[ajm90]

would sewing a bit of painted sandpaper to the back of your trousers be possible 

[shazz]

After drinks at a juice break, or juice at a drinks break, you get a nice sugary coat on the ball...

Heston Blumenthal recommends dipping in liquid nitrogen, before being blowtorched, leaving a crispy shell, and a frozen highly erect seam.

[Tumo]

After drinks at a juice break, or juice at a drinks break, you get a nice sugary coat on the ball...

Heston Blumenthal recommends dipping in liquid nitrogen, before being blowtorched, leaving a crispy shell, and a frozen highly erect seam.

Nothing about bacon flavoured ice-cream?

[shazz]

Nothing about bacon flavoured ice-cream?

Wouldn't mind giving that a try.

[Simmy]

suncream on the trousers has been done before but thats about it.

before the game when we pick a second ball that gets polished n cleaned up with polish but we do both sides etc just so it looks a better ball

[langer17]

You've got the throw to the keeper that always bounces before him in an attempt to rough up the ball. Hard to controll which side it lands on, but it can work as long as you leave one side and vigorously shine the other.

[shazz]

That is not only useful for swing, but it also softens the ball meaning it goes less far off of the bat at the death. Watch out for that in 50 over and 20/20, and sometimes if one team are having a hack in a test and the ball is 60-80 overs old they will do it.

[uknsaunders]

You've got the throw to the keeper that always bounces before him in an attempt to rough up the ball. Hard to controll which side it lands on, but it can work as long as you leave one side and vigorously shine the other.

tried skimming it like a pebble across water? Hold the seam horizontal with the rough side facing the ground.

[tim2000s]

That is not only useful for swing, but it also softens the ball meaning it goes less far off of the bat at the death. Watch out for that in 50 over and 20/20, and sometimes if one team are having a hack in a test and the ball is 60-80 overs old they will do it.

Having been playing in a league where the ball has to last 90 overs, and they're rubbish balls that end up knackered after 20, I'd have to say that none of this really helps. I can shine a ball to a gleam with sweat and my trousers and make it swing at 40 overs old, but really it's a lump of soap by that point.

[OMF]

Guy at our club did that and all the lacquer came off that side of the ball, was a complete and utter embarrassment!

Said player was informed quite clearly that if we ever found out he had tried this again he would be dropped, and made to pay for a new box of balls.

[OMF]

You've got the throw to the keeper that always bounces before him in an attempt to rough up the ball. Hard to controll which side it lands on, but it can work as long as you leave one side and vigorously shine the other.

Thecord will no doubt testify that when keeping wicket he has to gather throws from the fielders on the 4th/5th bounce...

[thecord]

Thecord will no doubt testify that when keeping wicket he has to gather throws from the fielders on the 4th/5th bounce...

I hope you aren't claiming that this is a tactic to get reverse swing!!!