Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => World Cricket => Topic started by: Cover_Drive on February 20, 2015, 05:42:17 PM
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Posted on CricInfo, discuss...
The balance is skewed too far in favour of batsmen already. Cricket cannot afford for bats to get any bigger
From the old Signature brand, through to the Magnum, Scoop and Jumbo, to the modern-day Kaboom: as with much else, it seems evolution is a given when it comes to cricket bats. We now are experiencing the Everest moment, the period when the technology and craft behind the batsman's tool of trade is at its absolute peak.
The manufacturer has produced a lethal weapon that authorities now need to rein in. Simple reason: the grounds, much like golf courses around the world, are struggling to contain the ball in the field of play. Sixes are struck now with ease. Mishits for the maximum are common. The bowler is at his wit's end. Any more grand technology to the bat and the game will become alien. So let's take Kaboom and use that as the limit.
What do we limit? We have a limit to the width, which is four inches, or 10.16cm. The thickness of the blade needs a limit too, and not just the edges but also the overall mass. Just as a driver in golf is limited to 460cc mass volume, the bat must be restricted. It can't go on getting bigger. No need to go backwards, but let's settle on a current size, before it gets out of hand and begins bordering on the ridiculous.
In layman's terms, bats these days are dried out completely. All moisture is removed - the absolute polar opposite to the grey old days, when bats were oiled. Removing the weight that moisture provides helps when you're looking to add extra mass to the edge and back of the bat. What would normally be a three-pound-plus bat 20 years ago, picks up at 2.9 (with up to 4cm edge thickness) today.
The bat is then compressed briefly to give it the punch and power it needs. But they don't last long. The willow snaps like a twig when put under the extreme pressure of being swung and connecting so hard so often. The weak points are the splice, where the handle is joined by glue to the main piece, and the bottom edge. Bats come and go in weeks. My trusty Duncan Fearnleys would last two full seasons each.
For the record, I got used to 2.6 pounds (1cm edge thickness) as a young pro and also carried a 2.4 for quicker conditions. When I saw others try heavier, thicker bats, I tried to follow suit and failed miserably. If I had done a full upper-body-strength programme, I might have prospered. I wasn't built like Viv Richards or Ian Botham, and I believed keeping my arms loose and light, not muscular and ripped, would help my last-second adjustment to aid my defence. And therein lies the issue: in the '80s, defence was required, for long periods.
The thickness of the blade needs a limit too, and not just the edges but also the overall mass. Just as a driver in golf is limited to 460cc mass volume, the bat must be restricted
For a time early in my career, I despised limited-overs cricket, as I tried to master occupying the crease. But when I saw Greg Chappell dismantle one-day attacks, I knew it could and should be done. Similar to Greg in build, I stuck to a light bat and kept the ball along the ground. Hitting a six was a rarity, normally attributed to a side boundary that was small enough (Eden Park was the obvious one). Never did I hit a six in Australia, except square in Adelaide, and in an ODI in Sydney. It never crossed my mind to do so, and with my light blade it was a huge risk to even attempt to hit over the top, except when advancing down to a spinner with the field up.
Times have changed, and rightly so, but we have now reached the threshold. It is time to acknowledge the great work by bat manufacturers, but we must give them boundaries. I say we stop at Kaboom, and no more.
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Either the new turbocharged fast-moving bats are damaging the modern ball exponentially more, or the ball manufacturers have fallen asleep, but the ball has not improved at all. It simply doesn't last. Recently in the New Zealand-Sri Lanka Test series the red ball seemed to be replaced more frequently than drinks were brought out on the hour. While the white ball has gone nowhere in its evolution, to the point where we are using two balls to get through 50 overs.
Which brings me to the saddest thing of all. Bowlers are now cannon fodder. They were once the controllers, the scene setters. Alas, they have become poor cousins in a game where administrators want boundaries struck between every heartbeat.
Over time, the bowler has lost his confidence. With the small boundaries positioned, cruel field restrictions adopted, and the Kaboom in full force, the bowler hasn't a hope. To his credit, he has tried his best to produce multiple clever and skilful variations to compete. The overriding problem here is, most bowlers are now trying to use them all, and have become masters of none.
The bowler is dead, long live the bowler.
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Let me buy my oversized bat and then they can ban them all they want. 😄
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Someone give the England players big bats quick.
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Abolish field restrictions? Change the lbw law?
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increase boundaries by half, that's stop the amount of sixs.. get rid of fielding restrictions.. rid of 'powerplays'.. oh nad let's have to decent wickets that nip around a bit.. that'd soon have scores down
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This article is drivel.
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increase boundaries by half, that's stop the amount of sixs.. get rid of fielding restrictions.. rid of 'powerplays'.. oh nad let's have to decent wickets that nip around a bit.. that'd soon have scores down
It is what the fly by night fans want though. Sixes and wickets, none of this boring building an innings malarkey.
I think the big bats help, I'm sure having thicker edges make the ball go a little further "when you edge it".
But, I agree the other things too make more of a difference.
Get rid of power plays and relax fielding restrictions back to 5 outside the ring, or even 6 outside.
Take boundaries out a bit to make 6s only when you time in, not edge it.
Stop the new ball half way through too.
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England vs Australia. Ashes 2013 at home.
The game were england had to chase a half decent total in a day but bad light ended up making it a draw.
that was an exciting chase. No field restrictions. No bowlers restrictions. The chase was not dominated by sixes or even boundaries. Yet I was glues to the telly. As was many others.
Was a much better chase than an odi has produced for a while.
This is how you reign the bats in. Let the captain put as many men out as they want and batsmen will have to up the rate with skill effort and ingenuity. Not merely move to leg and swing it to where the fielders can't be.
Also boundaries to the advertisement hoardings at every game.
Can even add benefit off doubt to the bowlers side. Stuff like Drs. If it's clipping batsmen is out (if it clips in real life the bails are coming off).
If it pitches outside leg. Can still be out if no shot played etc
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If it pitches outside leg. Can still be out if no shot played etc
Or even if shot was played? Peter Willey in favour of this in a recent Cricketer interview. Law same both sides of the wicket? Or how about, simply: "If it's hitting the stumps, it's out"?
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Or even if shot was played? Peter Willey in favour of this in a recent Cricketer interview. Law same both sides of the wicket? Or how about, simply: "If it's hitting the stumps, it's out"?
You would end up with a whole load of round the wicket bowling and a leg side field.
Deep fine leg, deep square leg, deep mid wicket. There is no way a batsman would go inside out and be successful enough.
It would got too far in the bowlers favour. Especially with DRS now.
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Cripes, 2.6lb... makes me feel like Arnie Swartz with my 2.8lb!
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Cripes, 2.6lb... makes me feel like Arnie Swartz with my 2.8lb!
2lb 6oz was normal in the seventies. Not unusual now, either.
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Anyway, I thought we'd decided that volume had nothing to do with it? ???
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Ways of bringing scores down:
Have some raging turners, I'm sure that will bring scores down for the likes of England, South Africa, Australia and NZ ;).
Give each team a piece of sandpaper and allow ball tampering. The likes of South Africa already do it.
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Let's be honest what ever sport it is whether football, rugby or netball everyone wants to see points, goals, tries or runs. Cricket is no different. The majority of people want to see runs and wickets. Golf is the opposite as the majority of people want to golfers pay as badly as them!
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The majority of people want to see runs and wickets.
I don't want to see artificial runs and wickets. It's all about context, isn't it?
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I don't want to see artificial runs and wickets. It's all about context, isn't it?
don't like the guy but that's twice I'm in agreement with Bats.. I think I'm drunk
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2lb 6oz was normal in the seventies. Not unusual now, either.
Crowe played mid 80s onwards, when Gooch and co had found 3lb bats. I don't think 2lb 6oz was common in club cricket either.
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Crowe played mid 80s onwards, when Gooch and co had found 3lb bats. I don't think 2lb 6oz was common in club cricket either.
I did know Crowe played in 80s. I was just saying 2lb 6oz was once very much the norm. Boycott's bat was 2lb 6oz throughout his career.
I have heard it said that the rise of the popularity of heavy bats in the 80s was a least partly due to a shortage of quality willow.
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That article would be cheered in the custom balls forum...
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Did Crowe ever hit a six in his career?
Note how none of the big hitters of old are moaning about the size of bats.
Was there all this hoo ha when Sir Viv was putting balls into the crowd with a tooth pick? Or maybe Brian Charles Lara's stats should be halved because his scoop had too much wood in it?
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This article is drivel.
Agree with you totally. He doesn't even understand the concept of mass.
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martin crowe has had a bit to say lately, all complete rubbish. Another sad attempt by an explayer (and what a player he was) to be relevant?
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Did Crowe ever hit a six in his career?
Crowe was a fantastic batsman. Somerset were happy to replace Richards with him.
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Crowe was a fantastic batsman. Somerset were happy to replace Richards with him.
He may have been a fantastic batsman, but that's not the point, did he ever hit a six?
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He may have been a fantastic batsman, but that's not the point, did he ever hit a six?
Extract from the article
Hitting a six was a rarity, normally attributed to a side boundary that was small enough (Eden Park was the obvious one). Never did I hit a six in Australia, except square in Adelaide, and in an ODI in Sydney.
I know forum mentality is usually reply reply reply, read later. But reading said posts does help sometimes.....
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Extract from the article
I know forum mentality is usually reply reply reply, read later. But reading said posts does help sometimes.....
The artical was such drivel I couldn't bring myself to read all of it!
Okay, it was a rarity for him. If he'd had a big modern bat I guess he'd have blitzed the boundary for fun, right?
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He hit a six on one leg in the world cup semi in 92 v Pakistan. I'm sure it wasn't the only one.
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He scored a lot of runs. I remember them as attractive runs scored at a good rate.
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That article would be cheered in the custom balls forum...
WHERE DO I FIND THE CUSTOM BALL FORUM PLEASE?
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WHERE DO I FIND THE CUSTOM BALL FORUM PLEASE?
Pakistan?
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Pakistan?
I've heard Shahid Afridi was chomping at the seam to sign up!
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Crowe played mid 80s onwards, when Gooch and co had found 3lb bats. I don't think 2lb 6oz was common in club cricket either.
Seem to remember myself and teammates playing with bats that were 2lb 11 in the Eightes there were also plenty around in club cricket.
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Seem to remember myself and teammates playing with bats that were 2lb 11 in the Eightes there were also plenty around in club cricket.
mine still weigh around that.
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Bats can stay the same for me.
Boundary sizes must be more consistent.
One ball per innings (the dye on the ball needs to be sorted) A harder ball is going to go further off the bat, what do you expect?
Get rid of the 5 over powerplays. Go back to the days of 4 outside the circle restrictions for the first 15 overs (or whatever it was) back in 2005 ish before the powerplays were bought in.
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Didn't Jake say something about the Kook balls not lasting as long. Sort that out first I would have thought.
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mine still weigh around that.
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Hardly unusual, either.
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(or whatever it was)
Or whatever it was! Hmm.
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Or whatever it was! Hmm.
I only say this because I was 13 at the time. Was just getting into playing and didn't know much of the professional game :)
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How do the logical people on here who are saying increase the size of the boundary plan to achieve such a feet in stadia around the world? Take out the first 5 rows of seats?
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How do the logical people on here who are saying increase the size of the boundary plan to achieve such a feet in stadia around the world? Take out the first 5 rows of seats?
I don't think people believe it will/can happen buddy. Just that it would help level the game up. As you say, some grounds are built small so can't be made bigger.
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I agree some grounds are built small and so there is no wiggle room, but there are other grounds where there seems to be almost as much grass outside the boundary rope as there is inside it!
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1 ball per innings would help batsman, 2 balls mean the ball will stay in better condition for the bowlers for longer right?
I think edge size could be limited. It would prevent mistimed shots going for 6, and wouldn't restrict the weight of the bat.
Balls which are going for 6 off the edge of the bat would miss the bat all together in some cases. Mainly in top edges.
A far out option, restrict the accumulative width of the bats 3 faces (ignoring the back of the bat).
Say your bat could be a maximum acc.width of 6 inches (random number off top of my head), with maximum face to remain 4.25 inch. Want a bigger edge? Fine, but you've got to take some width out the face of your bat.
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When we are all playing each other from our front rooms on a virtual reality cricket pitch bat size won't matter. Post match virtual reality beers in my bar :D
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1 ball per innings would help batsman, 2 balls mean the ball will stay in better condition for the bowlers for longer right?
As always, it depends. While a harder ball seams and swings more at the start of the innings, it also comes off the bat much harder and is therefore likely to reach the boundary more easily. By having two hard balls, the batsmen have to work less hard to hit the ball farther. With a softer old ball, you have to hit the ball harder to score boundaries. Those big sixes late in the innings drop into fielders' hands, and you may think twice before playing that big shot.
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That's why every team in this world cup are throwing the ball in on the bounce.
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A company in Midrand produce some great cricket balls which would be ideal for the current cricketing climate. I'm sure Gerry SA will know of them.
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That's why every team in this world cup are throwing the ball in on the bounce.
This also scuffs up one side to encourage reverse swing.
And anyone think that Chris Gayle's bats need to be restricted after today? ;)
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This also scuffs up one side to encourage reverse swing.
And anyone think that Chris Gayle's bats need to be restricted after today? ;)
Zimbabwe learning to catch and bowl legal deliveries might have been better ;)
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Its the same argument that is going on in rugby. Everybody is too big and heavy and its turned into a size and territory game rather than skill. The game has moved on, and if they do intend on restricting it, it will turn out like F1 at the moment were the rules are so restrictive the best designer (Adrain Newey - Red Bull) have gone off to design Ben Ansliee's boats. What about a spec series for cricket. Bats can be different weights but not different size, must use ballast in the toe or handle! All must be the same shape.... Or maybe the balls could be medicine balls, if you use a bigger bat, make the ball harder to hit?
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as I've said and others, make the pitches as big as possible, use one ball, get rid of fielding restrictions and make sporting wickets rather than flat decks ripe for biffing. Get it so the first ten overs the ball nips around, seams around.. slow the scoring down by utilising bowlers skill who can land the ball on the seam etc. Finch/Warner and co wouldn't be able to just stand and hit if the ball is hooping, reversing and seaming around like a trooper.
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Is the size of bats being overplayed? They are not wider, and the stumps haven't decreased in size or width and with only willow being allowed in the making of the blade, bats will reach a natural maximum size before the become to dry and break too soon and negate performance. Sure bats today give batsman more bang for their buck, but a good ball is still a good ball. My take is that batsmen now days have adapted to the modern game, where as the bowlers (in general) are still too catch up. Hawkeye has given bowlers as much assistance as thicker less dense bats have for batsman, with umpires now willling to give more decisions and the fielding team having the ability to appeal against a not out. For me the 4 fielders outside the circle needs addressing back to 5, to even things up.
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I remain unconvinced that a lower volume (smaller) bat with the same mass as a higher volume (bigger) bat will hit the ball different distances.
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2 new balls was brought in because they were changing the ball after 30 overs anyway. So you spent 25 overs getting it to reverse, had 5 overs of reverse and then had to start again !
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2 new balls was brought in because they were changing the ball after 30 overs anyway. So you spent 25 overs getting it to reverse, had 5 overs of reverse and then had to start again !
Now you get two no balls that go better off the bat as they'r harder, and there's 25 overs of no swing from both ends, perfect solution!
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they could use better balls maybe?? That actually last 50 overs? Novel idea
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they could use better balls maybe?? That actually last 50 overs? Novel idea
or go the other way and use less hard wearing balls that scuff easily and give the bowlers something to work with. The problem as I see it is the Kook balls themselves. Why not try another brand, both the SG and Duke balls are known to swing.
This might sound a stupid question but do we use white Kook balls for UK based ODI's and First class cricket?
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or go the other way and use less hard wearing balls that scuff easily and give the bowlers something to work with. The problem as I see it is the Kook balls themselves. Why not try another brand, both the SG and Duke balls are known to swing.
This might sound a stupid question but do we use white Kook balls for UK based ODI's and First class cricket?
would a worse ball not go soft etc? ie.. be easier to biff?
Surely a higher quality ball would hold it's seam better, hold shine etc??
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or go the other way and use less hard wearing balls that scuff easily and give the bowlers something to work with. The problem as I see it is the Kook balls themselves. Why not try another brand, both the SG and Duke balls are known to swing.
This might sound a stupid question but do we use white Kook balls for UK based ODI's and First class cricket?
Yes the white kookaburra turf is the ball of choice.
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would a worse ball not go soft etc? ie.. be easier to biff?
Surely a higher quality ball would hold it's seam better, hold shine etc??
Go to Sports Direct and buy a £2.99 Fernley ball. It will go soft in about a dozen deliveries and then see how far you can hit it compared to a league ball. Having a softer ball will reduce hitting distance but the bowlers should still be able to swing it if it shines up. Obviously not advocating Sports Direct balls for ODI's but you get the idea.
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Or the bowlers and coaches could ditch the ridiculous half track theory and go back to trying to bowl batsman out with good bowling...anyone remember a yorker? I've got no sympathy with bowlers when they are unable to hit a specific length (apart from the 4 fielder rule).