Print

[teakay]

I stopped playing in about 2002 to pursue other sporting goals.  Since then there has been a lot of press about the rising scores and batting averages in international cricket.  One of the reasons suggested has been improvements in bats which has brought forward the current regulations.   So how many pro's have actually used bats with Carbon tecnology?  I remember Hunts county used a honey comb thing in one of their bats for a while but that didn't catch on or arouse rule changes.  Otherwise outwardly little has changed - the Newberry model I last used is still made and looks the same.  Are the improvements really down to the use of more throw away bats by Pro's - drier (re-lighter) bigger bats and/or maybe more lightly pressed softer bats?  Obviously its harder to legislate this.   

[Watsontotty]

I'm not sure there is a hard and fast answer to the above, i can answer a few parts of it as i do know a few of the England players which used carbon handles from various manufacturers. There are a fair few other international and county players who have all used carbon handles also. Bat making has improved greatly in recent times and part of that is due to the use of lighter clefts allowing them to enhance the profile and still achieve a light bat with superb pick up. Also most professionals bats are not the same as you and i buy off the shelf and they are pressed lighter to achieve instant performance.

Another part worth considering is the standard of international wickets around the world ? just cast your mind back to the recent tour of the windies where apart form one test England scored over 500 in every first innings and the windies replied in kind. Pitches are now produced with the batsmen in mind and also to last the full 5 days which generates money for all cricket boards of control. The windies have struggled in England but that's not down to the quality of the pitches more on there ability and how much they really want to be here.

[bucko2007]

I wouldn't say ALL pitches are made like that. I think the West Indies pitches were like that obviously for the money over 5 days, but I don't think you will see that farce to the same extent in many other countries, where cricket is the priority. The West Indies have shown their true ability in this test series in England, WI are terrible and lack any kind of unity, and nor do they have an ounce of England's talent

[Tom]

Is it improvements in the bat making or improvement in the willow and how it is grown, dried and nutured? If you look at batmaking now compared to 30yrs ago there have been a few improvements such as concaving but the majority of the tools which are used remain the same. All the tools I use are around 100yrs old and have been used in batmaking for years with the exception of a drum sander and a cobblers shave. Shapes have changed I suppose, but I think this is the result of drier better willow which you can get those shapes out of.

Carbon handles are a relatively new invention but very few professionals used them, many opted not to for example Hayden with his GN's didn't use the handle of the bat he was endorsing. These have now been banned as you probably know yet there has been no noticeable performance change in anyones bats.

So for me the better bats are as a result of better quality willow and perhaps a more open mind to bat shapes. But then I may be completely wrong on that.

[teakay]

Its interesting especaily given that the trees are 20yrs+ old before havest that the batsman of today are perhaps benifiting to improvement to willow growing that may have been implemented a while ago.  With agricultural development you wonder what the bats will be like in another 20 years time :-) .  Hmm genetically altered willow to produce the lightest clefts. I guess with many of the current leading bat makers picked up their craft from the likes of John Newberry that you might expect bat designs to remain similar. 

The best bat I have had performance wise (a Mojolnir I picked up from Robertsbrige, before I went out to play in Oz), was right up there with any of the bats I have tried that belonged to friends that have played 1st class cricket.  Lots of grains and soft It certainly wasn't the longest lasting bat I have had (it must have last over 1000's runs though ), so it performance out wieghed its shorter life span.     

I agree that easier pitches and moving the ropes has done more to inflate scores.  I wonder realistically how many extra runs a 'pro' grade bat is worth?  Should clubs be investing in better bats rather than overseas pro's?

[SAF Bats]

Salix Alba Caerulea is already a hybrid and genetically altered for sales i.e a whiter willow as opposed to performance.  A great performing bat can made from Salix Alba but it is limited run wise. I've had a salix alba cleft but it is still to be used to confirm it's longevity.

I would agree with most things that have been said.... Pitches do favour the batsman nowadays and that is based on the spectacle of cricket, TV sales and marketing.

Willow growing has been the same since they started Farming willow.  You still get good growers of willow and bad ones.  Good bats are made from willow sourced from good farmers, poor bats are made from willow that has been left there in a fairly feral state.

Innovations with regards to handles and bats is due to a greater understanding of what makes a bat perform.  Law 6 has gone someway in trying to limit this but has left some things open.

Soft pressed bats are really no different to having a bat made from Salix Alba - even with a soft pressed bat you still need to work the bat to get it perform.  You still need a stiff layer on the face but you have the springiness of the soft layer.  Something you do not have with a bat that has been pressed for the greater market due to returns.

There is no real difference to W G Grace or Tendulkar giving there bats to junior players to play them in, they both end up at the same end point.

Yep a bat that is larger in volume will hit the bat further but timing, bowling speeds etc all come into play.  If you had the timing of Bradman facing the consistently fast bowling speeds of Michael Holding, what would people think of Bradmans bat shape!   It would fly a mile that shape would be all the rage.

Concaving removes mass from the middle, if anything, so you get more bang for you buck if you have a flat middle. Edges do exactly the same thing, you are taking mass from the middle and whacking it on the edge......  Are we as really doing the right thing when making bats that have big edges and concaved......... So far this season I've done 1 out 10 concaved bat with a large edge, the rest all have been Flat middle with a slightly exaggerted edge and these bats are performing very well. Those profile I would say are classic shape bats with a twist.

Comparing bats that are drier [to the extent it creates a big bat] I dont think is a great comparison because it is not the norm even nowadays.....!  Unless you are a bit unscrupulous or it has been requested!!!!!