The Kookaburra ball will again be used for four rounds of County Championship action in 2025 – but the experiment of using it in early season conditions has been shelved.

The ECB started using the Kookaburra ball for two Championship rounds in 2023, both in the middle of summer, then doubled that number in 2024, placing two at the start of the season and two towards the end, in September.

At a meeting between the ECB, including managing director Rob Key, and county directors of cricket last week, it was agreed that there would again be four rounds of Kookaburra action in 2025, but that the April experiment was ended.

The use of the Kookaburra, the machine-stitched Australian ball, for a portion of the season, rather than the hand-stitched English Dukes, was a recommendation of Andrew Strauss’s High Performance Review in 2022, and Key is a big fan. It is designed to counter the threat of the medium-pacers who have run amok in county cricket in recent years, and promote the spinners and faster bowlers, who have the skills required to make the step up to Test cricket.

Use of Kookaburra led to glut of draws

However, using it in early season went too far, with a combination of soft early season pitches and poor weather meaning that 17 out of 18 matches across two rounds finished in a draw. The Kookaburra ball was found to quickly absorb moisture – plentiful at that time of year – creating very batting-friendly conditions, leading to a glut of draws.

However, of the 18 matches across two rounds later in the summer, just six were draws. For 2025, the ECB therefore plan to place two rounds of Kookaburra action in the middle of the summer, and two in a similar slot in early September. In their win over Surrey, Somerset’s Jack Leach and Archie Vaughan shared all 20 wickets with the Kookaburra ball.

Statistics presented to the directors of cricket suggest the experiment is having a positive impact. Amongst seamers, with the Kookaburra ball, the optimal bowling strike-rate and average is produced at an average speed of 82-84mph, whereas with the Dukes it is 76-79mph. This season, 50 per cent more deliveries were bowled by spinners in matches using the Kookaburra ball.

The use of the Kookaburra has been controversial, with some claiming it worsens the spectacle at the expense of trying to produce Test-ready cricketers. Alec Stewart, the outgoing Surrey director of cricket, called its introduction to county cricket “the worst decision ever”.

Surrey sign Nathan Smith

Meanwhile, Surrey have seen off competition from a host of other counties to sign Nathan Smith, the Kiwi all-rounder who starred for Worcestershire last season.

Smith took 27 wickets at 21 in his seven Championship matches for Worcestershire, as well as scoring three half-centuries and performing well in the Vitality Blast. He was a key part of the Worcestershire side that punched above its weight to survive in Division One, despite a season of severe adversity that included flooding at New Road and the tragic death of young spinner Josh Baker.

This led to major interest in Smith’s signature from other counties. It is understood that he received five offers, but will be joining Surrey. Exactly for which stage of the season he will join is unclear, as New Zealand will control his workload. Dunedin-born Smith, 26, is yet to play for New Zealand but was selected in their T20 squad yesterday and has been awarded a national contract.

Surrey have largely relied on West Indies’ Kemar Roach and Australia’s Sean Abbott as their overseas players in recent years. Both could yet return at different times of the season as Smith.

Elsewhere, cash-strapped Middlesex are known to be long-time admirers of Zafar Gohar, the Pakistani spinner who left Gloucestershire earlier this month. He should qualify as a local player next season and is expected to remain in county cricket.