Sport

Pink ball used at Lord's

A new pink cricket ball has been used for the first time at Lord's Cricket Ground.

The Duke's ball was trailed for one innings and a Kookaburra (white ball) used for the other, with the belief being that the Duke's pink ball will have been more durable and thus improving the standard of the game.

The prototype of the ball has already been used in a 50-over match between Scotland and an MCC team. If it continues to be a success it will take over as the standard in Twenty20 Cricket in 2009.

The traditional red cricket ball has not been used exclusively since the Kookaburra was introduced over 30 years ago.