It was an experiment triggered after England were humbled 4-0 in the 2021/22 Ashes series, as its batsmen and bowlers once again failed to come to terms with Australian conditions.
However based on increasingly loud rumblings on the eve of the 2025/26 Ashes, it seems the days of machine-stitched Kookaburra cricket balls being used in the country championship are numbered.
According to BBC reports, county cricket bosses want to end the trialing of the Kookaburra and revert back to the exclusive use of Dukes balls from next season.
Historically, first-class cricket in England and Wales has been played with the hand-stitched Dukes that offer more assistance to pace bowlers, ensuring a greater contest between bat and ball on the flatter pitches typically seen across England and Wales.
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Trouble is, Kookaburra balls are used by the majority of other test-playing nations—including Australia—thus theoretically placing England bowlers at a disadvantage whenever playing away from home.
In an attempt to address the situation, it was agreed to trial Kookaburra balls for selected rounds during the 2023, 2024 and 2025 county championships.
However, now three seasons in, the trial has been seen as unproductive resulting in what the BBC recently summarised as ‘some dull cricket, with bat dominating ball.’
How dull?
Well, in two rounds of 2025 county matches using Kookaburra balls in June, the average first-innings total across all matches was 430 with 59 individual scores of 100 or more.
Surrey also amassed a mind-numbing 820-9 (declared) in a drawn much against Durham who themselves reached 260-0 in their second innings at The Oval.
Yawn, indeed.
‘I wouldn’t be using it’ says Darren Lehman
Should the Kookaburra indeed be abandoned when the England and Wales Cricket Board's professional game committee meets next month, it’s a decision former Australian test batsman and current head coach of Northamptonshire, Darren Lehman, fully agrees with.
“I wouldn’t be using it, you’re trying to create something that’s not going to work in England,” Lehman said during the 2025 season.
“The Kookaburra ball is for Australian conditions on wickets that are harder and have got some carry.
“The Dukes ball, we’ve tried that before in an Ashes for example, a Dukes ball goes all over the shop in Australia and the game’s finished in two days.
“They’re trying to get ready for an Ashes which is a pretty important thing for England cricket but for me you’ve just got to put up with it and find a way through it.”
All five matches of the 2025/26 Ashes test series in Australia will use Kookaburra balls.