Why do cricket balls have to be so hard?

SYDNEY: (Dec 26) The game of cricket is believed to have originated in rural England sometime in the 16th or 17th century.

The earliest versions of cricket balls had no standard size, weight or stitching: they were handmade by locals and consisted of a round leather case filled with materials such as cork or wool.

As there were no set requirements or construction methods, each ball was different, and this affected how it bounced, moved and rebounded off the bat.