Pink cricket ball experiment starts

AAP

GOOD at times, not quite so good at others.

That appeared the verdict after day one of Cricket Australia's great pink-ball experiment, which began amid some suspicion from players and hierarchy.

Pink balls were used in Futures League fixtures in Adelaide and Brisbane on Tuesday, with a white ball used in a second XI match in Melbourne.

The trials are aimed at finding a non-red ball suitable for Test matches at night, a gambit championed aggressively by CA chief executive James Sutherland.

A pink Kookaburra ball was used in a day-night match at Adelaide Oval while a pink Duke ball was tried at a day fixture in Brisbane.

Matters were complicated a little in Adelaide by a rain delay either side of the tea break, but when the players emerged to play under lights the ball seemed to be adjusted to well enough by both sides.

South Australia's under-23s posted 266 before Western Australia reached 3-81 late on the opening night.

The major obstacle to the Kookaburra pink ball appeared to be the fact it possessed an indeterminate colour at times, and there was talk that it might have been darker.

Administrators must deliberate on how clearly the ball is seen by spectators and television viewers, as well as the players themselves, as they go about the task of testing longer-form matches at night, an experiment first tried with a yellow ball during the 1994-95 Sheffield Shield.

In Brisbane, NSW's under-23 side declared at 9-295 and Queensland were 5-89 in reply.

In Melbourne, specially-designed white balls were put to the test during the game between the Victorian and Tasmanian under-23 sides, which was played during the day.

However it was hard for either side to gauge how effective the balls were as Tasmania bowled Victoria out for 187 in 48.3 overs and made 6-145 in 47 overs in reply.

Victorian allrounder Glenn Maxwell, who top-scored with 58 for his side, said two white balls were used in each innings, one from each end, and had been easy to see, although there had been little sideways movement for the fast bowlers.

"In the first five overs each end there was a bit, so it's up to the opening bowlers to get wickets early when it's moving, but after that it barely did anything," he said.

"We'll get a better idea (how the balls last) tomorrow."