Balls!

There seems to be some confusion in America about the relative sizes and hardness of baseballs and cricket balls.  I actually got into an argument once with a fellow, who told me that cricket balls were a lot bigger and also softer.  Well, here is the proof.  Cricket ball on the top - Baseball (actually a souvenir from the winning Dodgers World Series team for 1988!) on the bottom.  Not a lot of difference in size is there?  As for hardness, well the cricket ball is a little harder with its polished leather outer skin around a wooden core.  Also the seam is a lot more raised.

Unlike baseball where the balls are constantly being discarded due to marks from the ground, the cricket ball is used as long as possible.  In fact its condition dictates the type of bowler (pitcher) to be used.  Fast bowlers - up to 90 m.p.h. - use the shiny ball, and then the slow bowlers come on and spin it.  Always of course, off the ground - never directly at the batsman (batter) like in baseball.  I hope that clears up the confusion.