Then he had what he describes as an "epiphany" during a game. He walked away from it all to have a crack at making it in rugby union, his sporting first love.
"I was playing an A-grade game in Fremantle and I came off at tea and my mother was there watching and I just told her, 'I am not enjoying this any more. I love the bowling part of the game but I can't stand standing around the field'," Ball said. "I knew in a couple of months there would be a contract on the table but deep down I knew I did not have it in me to want to do it professionally.
"I told Geoff Marsh and he tried to convince me to keep playing but my mind was made up. Deep down inside, I missed my rugby. I would probably say I was quite aggressive for cricket. I didn't like getting nicked through the slips."
The fiery side of his character, his 1.98m frame and no little skill enabled him to make the transition to top-flight rugby with remarkable speed. He had begun playing at the age of five at Camberley, starting on the wing but moving to the back row by the time he was captaining Surrey under-15s before moving to Australia.
Not long after pitching up at the Palmyra club in Perth, where he would end up in the second row, he was fast-tracked to train with the Western Force. After bulking up his fast-bowler's frame from 95kg - his current weight is about 124kg - he was signed on a short-term contract.
He attracted interest from Llanelli Scarlets, who by then had become aware of his Welsh roots. His father, a former No8 with London Welsh and Harlequins, was born and raised in the north Wales town of Pwllheli. He received only a five-month contract from the Welsh region but this season forced his way into the starting XV, with his hard-hitting style bringing him on to Warren Gatland's radar as he searched for alternatives for the unavailable Ian Evans, Bradley Davies and Ryan Jones. When Alun-Wyn Jones withdrew on the morning of the France match with a foot injury, he was given his first start in the 27-6 victory.
On the eve of playing against the country of his birth, Ball, who was born in Ascot, insists he has no regrets about declaring for Wales.
"There were never any thoughts of playing for England," Ball said. "The reason why I came to Wales was to play for Wales.
"I am just glad I made the change when I did. It could have been a totally different situation if I had taken a professional contract in cricket, played for a year and not been happy. Sometimes I have to pinch myself about how quickly it has come about but deep down, I knew I could do it."
Meanwhile, England coach Stuart Lancaster has had to insist that his callow team are ready to show their growing maturity against Wales. Asked about Gatland's assertion that the English "boys" who suffered a thumping defeat in Cardiff last year may not be ready to become "men", Lancaster was defiant.
"Ever since that first summer tour of 2012 in South Africa, they have shown that they are able to go toe-to-toe against any international team," Lancaster said.
This is an England side with backbone, as shown by their comeback victory against Ireland a fortnight ago. Now they need to back that up with another big performance at Twickenham tonight.
