Best type of cricket ball for Asphalt concrete

[Dann]

hey guys..

i know its a really bad questions, but in canada we dont have many grounds 2 play on.

whats the best type of cricket ball to use on an asphalt surface (closest to hardball so its fun to bat n bowl)

[Cover Drive]

Yaar Asalamalakium,

Where and in which league do you play? I'm sure in league matches there is no concrete pitches.

[LethalSami]

^^^
Salam,
I think he's talking about playing on street/road...

in that case i would use a TAPED TENNIS ball................its fun to bat and bowl with it...

downside......tape will wear out in like 10 overs...........you'll have to re-tape it

[Cover Drive]

^ Oh that case I would say use those hard tennis balls. I remember a while ago I had MRF tennis balls and they are extremely hard and in fact the hardest tennis balls I have ever seen in my life so use them against a tape ball bat as LethalSami bhai said/

[Dann]

I don't play in leagues b/c

1. Waste of time, I just want to bat n bowl like i'm in nets.
2. Don't want to waste my Saturday playing cricket from 7 am to 5 pm
3. Don't really get a chance to play, all you do is stand around and hopefully wait for your turn.

I play with 3/4 ppl we pad up n play with a hard ball on asphalt, we don't go around bowling bouncers and hitting sixes, we just play in the "V" and really enjoy playing textbook cricket shots. Plus I love the feeling of middling the hard ball on a cover drive or back foot punch through covers, can't get that feeling with tape ball.

Just asking if there is a hardball out there designed to play on asphalt??

Regular hard ball just gets destroyed!

[ExtraCoverDrive]

Hey!
I might just have something for you.
You see, when i lived in kuwait, there were no artificial turfs or lush green outfields to play cricket on. But we did have asphalt road like surfaces smack in the middle of a soccer field where we played our cricket.
In regular matches, we put carpet on the surface and played with regular hard balls that would get destroyed in 35 overs.
But when we did practice or play for fun, what we did was get one of those old hard balls and tape them up. It would wear off eventually, but it wouldnt mess the hard ball up as much. you just keep applying tape everytime it wore off. And trust you me, the feeling of playing your shots dont feel much different other than feeling a little heavier than usual. you can literally just tape 2 hard balls and keep using them when the tape wears off.
However, if you get a 2 piece hardball, which is generally lighter than regular 4 piece cricket balls, then taping it up would bring the weight to pretty much the same as a regular 4 piece ball.
But that is your best solution seeing your circumstances.
P.S: Hard ball that is taped travels more through the ground... and you'll need more than 3-4 fielders running around for the ball.

[Cover Drive]

Great post ExtraCoverDrive Bhai

Dann Bhai, its your opinion but it really isn't waste of time yaar

Anyways, for balls I don't know much but what ExtraCoverDrive Bhai said is the best I think anyone could suggest you

Bats, I would say get a hard pressed Pakistani bat (one made for harder surface) or just buy a Kashmiri Willow bat.

[Dann]

Yaar CD.. i love playing outdoor cricket.. but when you have to study to become a professional accountant and work 40-50 hours, your sat n sun are really precious days! Thats y i do the 3/4 players thing.

Thanks guys.. i will definitely try the tape ball thing, and go out and look for a Kashmiri Willow

[Cover Drive]

Sorry Bhai wasn't fully sure of your situation yaar.

I take you are doing your Masters ?

Bhai, since you're in Toronto try Hagee/Khan Sports (Khan in particular) as they have Kashmiri Willow bats and they aren't very expensive either, I hope these two are not far from you.

[Dann]

Its ok CD no need to apologize! Sorry, i'm actually doing my CMA (management accountant) right now, then going to masters in 2/3 years time inshallah.

Yes these stores are close to me. I will go out and check out the Kashmiri Willow bats.

We have really hard winters here and I have been leaving my bats out in the garage where there is no insulation/heating so the bats have become worn out due to extreme cold. I need a new bat and will go check it out after april/may once we start playing outdoors again.

Thanks so much for the tips!

Salaams bro.

[Cover Drive]

Cheers

Actually just try to keep the bats inside your house as room temperature is preferable.

As far price is concerned it shouldn't be more than $35 (make sure you bargain as well).