A pink cricket ball has made its competitive debut in England in a twenty20 fixture between Hampshire and Essex.
The night match, staged at Hampshire's Rose Bowl, was the first time a match between two English counties had used the luminous ball which is being tested by the MCC, the traditional guardians of the laws of cricket.
In April, the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) used the pink ball in a match against Scotland at Lord's and they have been working in tandem with the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) on expanding its use to county matches.
The main argument for pink balls is that the white ones used for one-day matches are liable to become discoloured and difficult for players to see in certain conditions.
Hampshire won the match by seven wickets and the pink ball received a mixed reaction from the players.
