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[crystalmais]

I'd rather people not use brand new balls for nets. Its difficult in Juniors as parents buy their kids all sorts - so we now provide balls the club has bought for nets - We usually get Readers from 3D - they also do some good net balls too, but have also recently had some good balls from Sypderbats -

[Paese]

I get the argument for using new balls in nets, but I wouldn't say that using an old match ball means there's no swing or movement. If anything, depending on how well you've looked after your old spares, there's sometimes more. It also adds more challenge to the bowler to look after the ball and practice bowling later in the innings. Not sure about everyone else, but I rarely bowl my opening bowlers all the way through, I often keep them back for later on, meaning they need to practice with an older ball as well. And for batting, being able to face an older ball that's a bit softer is useful, it won't ping off the bat immediately and requires some effort and a different technique.

Up until this year, as Captain I carry an inordinate amount of spare match balls around with me. I'm happy for actual bowlers to use them for practice, but they keep them in good condition and because they do, it is actually a benefit for any matches I need the spares in future. I'm not a bowler, never have been and never will. So, can't speak from personal experience but the bowlers at my current club and previous clubs seem very happy to look after and practice with old match balls. Especially in winter nets when they're really just getting into a rhythm again, trying to bowl in the channel around off stump and want to use a ball that will be used in actual games. We have a range of old spare match balls of various ages and bowlers select from it accordingly (or bring their own they've managed to nab an old match ball last season - tut tut).

Once we go outside, we're more likely to use new balls during various drills with (or more commonly without a batsman there) so that the openers aren't completely surprised when they run in for the first game with the new ball. This is going to sound weird, and I don't always treat them like children just sometimes, but the excitement the openers have when they finally run in with a new ball and it comes out faster, bounces, nips off the seam and beats the bat. Seems to get them up for the game, since they haven't bowled with a new ball in a while and haven't been beating the bat of poorer batsman in nets at all.

New Captain this year though, and I'm not precious over the above process (despite how anal it sounds). So, have handed the spares over to him and will be following his lead.

[SD]

It's incumbent on Clubs to provide balls for indoor and outdoor training, whether that be used league match balls or new ones.  You can't really expect junior players and those who are unlikely to bowl in games to purchase quality balls for training

[Ayrtek Cricket]

This is my fairly mixed bag that I end up with for nets, plus a couple of other Dukes that are in my duffle bag in my car boot!

Surprising what Lugging these around adds to the weight of your bag when not using a wheelie.

[Sloggerz]

I would say facing new balls in indoor nets is challenging and good preperation for the season. Best not to use your match bats to face up. I have ordered some tiflex balls last season and have been decent overall. What model in readers are recommended? Having said that i went to a net recently and a young lad was bowling serious pace with a rock it left some big dents in one of my favourite bats.
Reminds me of an issue last season where i told a guy to to put away the rock he was using but refused to do so which was awkward even though i offered him to use a good quality ball from my kitbag. I think some are there to deliberately damage your equipment.

[Kai]

Has anyone ever tried these balls? Are these bat breakers?
https://onlinestockist.com/sg-club-red-cricket-ball-box-of-12.html

[SD]

I would say facing new balls in indoor nets is challenging and good preperation for the season. Best not to use your match bats to face up. I have ordered some tiflex balls last season and have been decent overall. What model in readers are recommended? Having said that i went to a net recently and a young lad was bowling serious pace with a rock it left some big dents in one of my favourite bats.
Reminds me of an issue last season where i told a guy to to put away the rock he was using but refused to do so which was awkward even though i offered him to use a good quality ball from my kitbag. I think some are there to deliberately damage your equipment.

Of the Readers, I think the Imperial and the Sovereign are the most commonly used League ball

[Paese]

I would say facing new balls in indoor nets is challenging and good preperation for the season. Best not to use your match bats to face up. I have ordered some tiflex balls last season and have been decent overall. What model in readers are recommended? Having said that i went to a net recently and a young lad was bowling serious pace with a rock it left some big dents in one of my favourite bats.
Reminds me of an issue last season where i told a guy to to put away the rock he was using but refused to do so which was awkward even though i offered him to use a good quality ball from my kitbag. I think some are there to deliberately damage your equipment.

Yeah, not sure what goes through people's heads sometimes. It's disrespectful. Cricket bats aren't cheap investments, so why would you not change ball for the sake of not costing your team mate a shedload of money? And that's not taking into account the fact someone has potentially spent years mastering a craft, then creating the bat only for someone who seems determined to break it despite being given the option to change balls. Baffling.

Two approaches I've used to your scenario. This one I found more difficult - just leave every ball he bowls regardless of where it is. Let him waste his own energy. Rightly or wrongly, I have been known to pre-warn our bowlers that I will be leaving every yorker they bowl. So they can feel free to practice the line and length, but I won't be touching it regardless. Secondly, you should be able to rely on your teammates (not just the guy you're asking to change ball) to back your request. We've had batsman ask the same thing and everyone is then suddenly interested and checks the ball, and basically peer pressures him into swapping if needed. Rather than it feel really awkward and only on you, as if you're being fussy.

[Butterfingerz]

I would say facing new balls in indoor nets is challenging and good preperation for the season. Best not to use your match bats to face up. I have ordered some tiflex balls last season and have been decent overall. What model in readers are recommended? Having said that i went to a net recently and a young lad was bowling serious pace with a rock it left some big dents in one of my favourite bats.
Reminds me of an issue last season where i told a guy to to put away the rock he was using but refused to do so which was awkward even though i offered him to use a good quality ball from my kitbag. I think some are there to deliberately damage your equipment.

Maybe if this is club nets then the club be asking everyone to use a suitable ball

[Sloggerz]

It was a club net and i confirmed my attedance on the club whatsapp group. So i think he had it in his mind to turn up with a rock and try to prove a point. Only 3 guys turned up! So didnt get the backing from the other guy to swap balls

[Butterfingerz]

a club net with no club officials or coach?

[Bungle]

Has anyone ever tried these balls? Are these bat breakers?
https://onlinestockist.com/sg-club-red-cricket-ball-box-of-12.html

Isn't this the ball that Hanif uses for his ping tests in his videos?

[FraserJames123]

He uses the test version

[Chompy9760]

I did a test a couple years back checking the 'hardness' of 6 brands of bowling machine balls and comparing them to the cricket balls we use in matches.  I dropped all the balls several times from 2m onto a sheet of paper on a dusty concrete floor, this left a contact mark on the paper and I was able to measure the exact area of impact.  From there you can calculate impact force at a given velocity, and how may PSI each ball generates on the bat face, which is a fair measurement of how soft or hard the ball is.

The results were very interesting, with some balls very close to the values of a game ball that had played 45 overs, some nearly half, and some around double.  It really just confirmed what I already knew by feel (which balls were hard/soft), but to quantify just how much harder some of these rocks were, was an eye opener!

Sadly I lost all the results with a HDD issue.  Having bought a few 'cheap' leather balls to try them out, I can see that they would be right up the scale in the hardness department.

[beaver5]

I'm looked to by a box of balls for my Sunday team. Want something that will last a 40 over game + a midweek one. Any recommendations that aren't too expensive, but won't break your bat?