by Alice Monroe - To celebrate the Natwest T20 Blast Competition, the England and Wales Cricket Board launched a cricket ball to the "edge of space" and recorded it all on video!
BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom -- The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched an official match ball to an altitude of 110,000 feet - three times higher than the level at which commercial airliners cruise.
The cricket ball was lifted to the "edge of space" from Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham with the help of a helium balloon. At peak altitude, the white ball was exposed to temperatures of -54C (-130F). The atmosphere was extremely thin with the atmospheric pressure amounting to just 9.9mbar - less than 1% of the pressure at the Earth's surface.
The ECB sent an official cricket ball to where no cricket ball has gone before
At peak altitude the helium balloon burst and the ball returned to Earth in freefall, reaching speeds of 500mph before a parachute was deployed and brought it safely back to the surface in Newbury, Hertfordshire. The cricket ball was in near-perfect condition.
The scientific stunt was staged to promote Thursday's launch of the NatWest T20 Blast competition, in which white balls will be used.
David Collier, ECB Chief Executive, said: "Ahead of the NatWest T20 Blast season, we wanted to do something that would reflect the competition's exciting brand of cricket and vibrant in-ground atmosphere.
"By sending a cricket ball to the edge of space, we’ve come up with an innovative idea which vividly illustrates our own plans to make this summer’s competition a truly memorable experience for cricket fans everywhere."
Whilst the scientific definition of the edge of space puts that limit at an altitude of 100km - substantially higher than the 33km reached by the cricket ball, this white ball certainly still has travelled where no cricket ball has gone before.
Reported by One News Page Staff 13 hours ago.