How the squash ball could have helped

Adam Gilchrist's use of a squash ball in his left glove during his matchwinning 149 in the World Cup final has met with divided reactions. Several voices have been raised questioning the legality of its use. Vijitha Herath of the University of Paderborn, Germany, has offered a scientific perspective on the issue in The Nation.

Just after the ball hits the bat (ball still touching the bat) this pressure starts to relax while the bat is moving forward. At the same time the energy stored in the squash ball releases its energy to the bat in the form of kinetic energy. As a result, the release-speed of the cricket ball becomes faster, resulting in the ball travelling further before hitting the ground. Therefore, it results in more sixes and fours being scored.