Overview
- British Cricket Balls (Dukes) says county clubs will receive about 50% of their usual allocations ahead of the April 3 County Championship.
- Owner Dilip Jajodia reports airline logjams and reduced willingness to carry consignments on Middle East routes as the immediate cause.
- Quoted air-freight prices have jumped from roughly $5 per kilo to about $15 per kilo for boxes of balls, increasing costs even as deliveries back up.
- Suppliers are pursuing workarounds, including rerouting via Sri Lanka from South Asia, with dedicated charters described as a potential next step.
- The ECB says it is confident the 2026 batch meets standards and is assigning an official to stock different-aged replacements at Test venues after past shortages at Lord’s highlighted operational risks.