Topic: Bamboo bats (Read 3358 times)

rbanners · « **on:** May 10, 2021, 05:41:28 AM »

Hello all,
This was a story in the weekend papers:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/may/10/not-cricket-scientists-suggest-bamboo-bats-are-a-match-for-willow

Did anyone read it? The article says it�s a bamboo laminate, which would not make it eligible for play, and it would be unfair to compare a laminate with a standard willow bat, so seems to be flawed research as well.

Any thoughts? Would be interesting to hear from batmakers. While they were doing the research, they could have looked at bat shapes and tried to ascertain if there was a measurable difference in performance between concaving/edge size vs spine height etc!

Cheers
Banners

Buzz · « **Reply #1 on:** May 10, 2021, 06:37:31 AM »

I really don't think bamboo would fair that well against a cricket ball.

Tom · « **Reply #2 on:** May 10, 2021, 07:30:16 AM »

So yeh it'd be 100% illegal, bamboo is a grass not a wood. And as you say a laminate has resin in it. You might as well be testing all manner of materials (plastics/foams/metals) if you're suggesting this as an alternative.

From a usage perspective bamboo will be much heavier than willow too.

SouthpawMark · « **Reply #3 on:** May 10, 2021, 09:54:34 AM »

I would hazard a guess that pretty much any wood can be used as a cricket bat if it is laminated, and the adhesive between the layers has slightly springy properties. Obviously the boffins at Cambridge have too much spare time on their hands�

suraj · « **Reply #4 on:** May 10, 2021, 10:00:09 AM »

I'm curious to say the least. Wouldnt mind testing a bamboo bat. Call it the Bamboom-Stick or so! Mr Shah make me a Bamboo bat.

SurreySam · « **Reply #5 on:** May 11, 2021, 09:44:12 AM »

MCC statement - https://www.lords.org/lords/news-stories/mcc-statement-on-bamboo-bats

Mattsky · « **Reply #6 on:** May 11, 2021, 09:07:09 PM »

From what I've read, I think the motive is to seek a viable, low-cost alternative for Asian and emerging markets to English willow, which has inherent issues around scarcity (supply & demand), shipping, and purchasing costs.
Waiting for headlines along the lines of BAMBOO BATS BAMBOOZLE BATSMEN

jayralh · « **Reply #7 on:** May 12, 2021, 07:19:50 AM »

Kashmir Willow and Serbian willow is already there. why bamboo?

LockieEP · « **Reply #8 on:** May 12, 2021, 08:17:59 AM »

We have plastic bats for juniors...if its a viable and cost effective material why not allow for say U10s cricket

SLA · « **Reply #9 on:** May 12, 2021, 12:23:12 PM »

Composite baseball bats are specifically designed and tested to ensure they have the exact same rebound properties as a wood bat. They're just considerably more durable. Whereas the professionals use wood bats, amateurs typically use composite (they're more expensive - �150ish vs �80ish but they do last 5 times as long so its worth it).

No reason they couldn't design an composite cricket bat for amateur cricket in the same way.

https://thebatnerds.com/what-is-bbcor/

Kulli · « **Reply #10 on:** May 12, 2021, 12:36:05 PM »

Quote from: SLA on May 12, 2021, 12:23:12 PM

Composite baseball bats are specifically designed and tested to ensure they have the exact same rebound properties as a wood bat. They're just considerably more durable. Whereas the professionals use wood bats, amateurs typically use composite (they're more expensive - �150ish vs �80ish but they do last 5 times as long so its worth it).

No reason they couldn't design an composite cricket bat for amateur cricket in the same way.

https://thebatnerds.com/what-is-bbcor/

Is there in game checks?

SLA · « **Reply #11 on:** May 13, 2021, 03:15:46 PM »

Quote from: Kulli on May 12, 2021, 12:36:05 PM

Is there in game checks?

All equipment has have to be laid out before the game and bats have to have the official bbcor stamp visible, yes.

Number 11 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 13, 2021, 11:09:33 PM »

At the dawn of cricket, bats were made to order using any wood you cared for, IIRC oak and cedar have been tried but eventually the properties of willow were discovered and that became the mainstay.

KettonJake · « **Reply #13 on:** May 14, 2021, 09:43:10 AM »

Quote from: SLA on May 12, 2021, 12:23:12 PM

Composite baseball bats are specifically designed and tested to ensure they have the exact same rebound properties as a wood bat. They're just considerably more durable. Whereas the professionals use wood bats, amateurs typically use composite (they're more expensive - �150ish vs �80ish but they do last 5 times as long so its worth it).

No reason they couldn't design an composite cricket bat for amateur cricket in the same way.

https://thebatnerds.com/what-is-bbcor/

Rebound properties are one thing. Damage to the ball is another. A ball hits the bat potentially 270 times in a 45 over game. I've just looked to see that the average lifespan of a baseball is approx 7 pitches. There seems to be around 150 pitches thrown per team in baseball, as we know in baseball there are plenty that aren't struck by a bat, just like in cricket.

I'd speculate with some confidence that a composite bat does more damage than a wood one, this doesn't appear to matter is baseball as the nature of baseball means there are far fewer deliveries per ball.

A baseball doesn't hit a hard wicket between leaving the hand of the pitcher and getting to the batter like it does in cricket.

edge · « **Reply #14 on:** May 14, 2021, 10:11:02 AM »

Quote from: KettonJake on May 14, 2021, 09:43:10 AM

Rebound properties are one thing. Damage to the ball is another. A ball hits the bat potentially 270 times in a 45 over game. I've just looked to see that the average lifespan of a baseball is approx 7 pitches. There seems to be around 150 pitches thrown per team in baseball, as we know in baseball there are plenty that aren't struck by a bat, just like in cricket.

I'd speculate with some confidence that a composite bat does more damage than a wood one, this doesn't appear to matter is baseball as the nature of baseball means there are far fewer deliveries per ball.

A baseball doesn't hit a hard wicket between leaving the hand of the pitcher and getting to the batter like it does in cricket.

Why would a composite bat do more damage than a wooden one, particularly if it's a bamboo based composite? In any case it wouldn't be hard to avoid at all, you'd be tailoring the composite used in a hypothetical composite bat to a desired set of properties anyway. Not destroying cricket balls wouldn't be a difficult characteristic to design in.

Author Topic: Bamboo bats (Read 3358 times)

rbanners

Bamboo bats

Buzz

Re: Bamboo bats

Tom

Re: Bamboo bats

SouthpawMark

Re: Bamboo bats

suraj

Re: Bamboo bats

SurreySam

Re: Bamboo bats

Mattsky

Re: Bamboo bats

jayralh

Re: Bamboo bats

LockieEP

Re: Bamboo bats

SLA

Re: Bamboo bats

Kulli

Re: Bamboo bats

SLA

Re: Bamboo bats

Number 11

Re: Bamboo bats

KettonJake

Re: Bamboo bats

edge

Re: Bamboo bats