Sanspareils Greenlands

Sanspareils Greenlands
Industry
Founded1931; 94 years ago (1931)
FounderKedarnath Anand
HeadquartersMeerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Kailash C. Anand (Chairman)
Paras Anand (CEO)
Products
Websiteteamsg.in

Sanspareils Greenlands (SG) is an Indian cricket equipment manufacturer. The company was founded in 1931 in Sialkot in Pakistan before moving to the current location in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1950. It specialises in manufacturing various equipment used for cricket and the company manufactures the red ball used in all Test cricket and First-class cricket matches in India.

History

The company was founded by brothers Kedarnath and Dwarakanath Anand in Sialkot, present-day Pakistan in 1931.[1] Originally from Lahore, the brothers apprenticed at their uncle’s sports shop before deciding to diversify their family’s leather business into sports equipment manufacturing and exports. By the start of World War II, the company employed around 250 workers and remained operational during the war. After the partition of India, the family moved to Agra and later settled in Meerut in 1950.[2] In 1972, the company introduced its own line of protective cricket gear under the brand Featherlite.[3]

In the 1980s, the company shifted its focus primarily to cricket equipment, including bats, balls, pads, and gloves, as the demand for skilled craftsmanship in cricket products increased. In 1982, the company began selling its products under its own brand and opened a second manufacturing unit. Around the same time, Wasi Ullah Khan, a former state-level cricketer, joined as a junior manager. By 1992, the company began supplying cricket balls for Ranji Trophy matches after approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This eventually extended to Test cricket.[3]

Products

The company manufactures cricket clothing and equipment including bats, balls and other equipment. The company manufactures the red balls used in all Test cricket in India since 1994.[4][5][6] The ball is hand-stitched with a more prominent seam resulting from the thicker thread used for stitching.[7] While its pronounced seam makes it last longer, the ball does not swing earlier but starts swinging later. The protruding seam gives more control for the fast bowlers and a firm grip for the spinners.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "India opens door to Kookaburra balls in Tests". Daily Times. 10 March 2006. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  2. ^ "SG cricket, about us". Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b Sengupta, Rudraneil (13 August 2012). "1931 Sanspareils Greenlands | A historic innings". mint. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Delhi and Haryana players disappointed with SG balls". India Today. 6 November 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  5. ^ Rudraneil Sengupta (13 August 2012). "Sanspareils Greenlands, a historic innings". Livemint. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  6. ^ "The white ball wonder]". Cricinfo. 20 January 2006. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  7. ^ Rundell, Michael (2009). Wisden Dictionary of Cricket. A & C Black. p. 288. ISBN 9781408101612.
  8. ^ "Three of a kind: The different balls used in Test cricket". 14 March 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2023.