After three seasons, the contentious trial concerning the use of the Kookaburra ball in the County Championship has been formally called off. Three years ago, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) initiated the experiment as part of Andrew Strauss’ high-performance review. The goal of utilizing the Kookaburra ball instead of the traditional Dukes ball was to promote the development of spinners and bowlers capable of delivering extreme talents, hence better preparing players for international cricket.
The trial began in 2023 and ran for two rounds of matches. However, it rapidly garnered criticism from numerous county coaches, who said that the Kookaburra ball, which has less seam movement and swing, resulted in uninteresting games and flat surfaces.
Despite the reaction, Rob Key, the ECB general director of men’s cricket and a vocal backer of the plan, persuaded the counties to extend the experiment to four rounds for the 2024 season.
Not everyone echoed his optimism. Surrey’s director of cricket, Alec Stewart, called the move the worst choice ever. Key, on the other hand, defended the experiment, arguing that it created some good cricket, despite the fact that 17 of the first 18 games of the season were drawn. The pattern persisted in 2025, when the Kookaburra was employed for four further rounds, resulting in a high number of stalemates. The most dramatic example was Surrey’s club record 820 for 9 declared versus Durham at The Oval.
Frustration between counties ultimately boiled over. During a meeting last month, cricket directors from all 18 first-class counties voiced a unified willingness to discontinue the trial. Their viewpoint was shared by the ECB’s Cricket Advisory Group, a sub-committee of the Professional Game Committee, which announced earlier this week that the Dukes ball would be used exclusively for the 2026 season.
The ECB has taken a more hands-off approach to county cricket, leaving debates about fixture patterns up to the clubs. While they were unable to reach an agreement on major Championship modifications, counties did approve a minor reduction in T20 Blast fixtures. As a result, all 14 rounds of the 2026 County Championship will be played exclusively with the classic hand-stitched Dukes ball.
India
