Janice R. Andrews
In a bid to revive the dying art of hand-stitched cricket ball making, the world’s oldest cricket-ball maker is on a mission to rekindle the ‘romance’ of crafting top-level red cricket balls. Despite being an integral part of England’s cricket heritage, the skill of hand-stitching cricket balls has been deemed “extinct” in the UK, raising concerns about the dependency on other countries for this crucial aspect of the national sport.
The Dilemma of Extinction:
When the craft of producing cricket balls was listed as “extinct” in the UK on the 2017 Red List of Endangered Crafts, it was a depressing time for the cricket community. This discovery sparked a closer look at the procedures, which showed that although certain steps are finished locally, highly skilled hand-stitching is outsourced abroad since there aren’t enough experts in Britain.
The Craftsmen’s Search:
A concerted effort has been made to locate retired artisans or people with experience in cricket ball creation who might teach this complex trade to the coming generation. The national nonprofit Heritage Crafts, which is committed to conserving ancient skills, is working with a number of partners to provide funding and find trainees. Making cricket balls is a craft that is particularly in demand for those with experience in leatherworking or saddlery.
The Function of Heritage Crafts:
Heritage Crafts was founded in 2010 and is dedicated to assisting governments, guilds, and people who are concerned about the disappearance of traditional crafts. Every two years, the nonprofit organization releases the Red List of Endangered Crafts, which ranks crafts based on their chances of survival. Sadly, “cricket ball making” was declared extinct in the 2023 edition, which was supported by the Pilgrim Trust. This underscores the critical need for action.
The executive director of Heritage Crafts, Carpenter, stresses the significance of ending the reliance on foreign nations for expertise necessary for one of the national sports of the United Kingdom. According to him, encouraging the continuance of craft history conveys a strong message about the country’s dedication to maintaining traditional workmanship.
The Importance of Revisiting the Craft:
Heritage Crafts expert Charlotte Reather emphasises the importance of bringing the skill back to cricket’s home. Given the global appeal of cricket and the expanding US market, she is an advocate for reintroducing cricket ball manufacturing to England to produce what she terms the “Rolls-Royce of cricket balls.”
Working along with Dukes Cricket:
In Walthamstow, Heritage Crafts is in regular contact with Dukes Cricket, a firm that was established in 1760 and is well-known for making cricket balls used in first-class county cricket and test matches. The partnership seeks to close the gap and revive the craft of creating hand-stitched cricket balls.
Difficulties Dukes Cricket Faces:
Dukes Cricket’s owner, Dilip Jajodia, describes the difficulties in finding qualified artisans. The younger generation is more interested in technology than traditional craftsmanship, therefore efforts to recruit apprentices have encountered opposition despite the rich legacy of workmanship passed down through the years.
Bringing in Foreign Employees:
Dukes Cricket brought in laborers from the Indian subcontinent to keep up output. But obstacles arose from modifications to immigration laws, necessitating a change in approach. The finishing procedure is still done in the UK, but the firm now ships raw materials to the subcontinent for craftsmanship.
Craft Intricacy:
The cricket ball halves are hand-sewn together with a raised seam, cork core, and polished leather covering in this handicraft. Years of work are necessary to reach expertise in this sophisticated technique. Thread thickness and polish are two factors that have a big influence on how well the ball performs, thus it’s a difficult but necessary chore.
Hope for the Future:
Dilip Jajodia is still upbeat about the initiative’s ability to pique interest in the skill involved in creating cricket balls. He hopes that people would be captivated to the “romance” of the trade and realize how hard and committed it is. Jajodia stresses the value of upholding this legacy in spite of the difficulties, hoping that the project would encourage a new generation of artisans.
There is optimism that the ‘romanticism’ of this age-old trade may once again flourish in England as initiatives to resurrect the art of hand-stitched cricket ball creation gather speed. The partnership between Dukes Cricket and Heritage Crafts, two prominent figures in the industry, is a big step in the right direction for the preservation of a skill with a long history in the history of cricket in the country. The accomplishment of this project not only guarantees the production of cricket balls going forward, but it also sends a strong statement about how important it is to maintain the rich tapestry of traditional craftsmanship in the UK.
