Cricket bats: The origins and how to choose one
There is a famous picture of South African batting great Barry Richards comparing the size of the cricket bat that he employed in 1970 to the one wielded by David Warner in 2015. The bat used by the Australian is not only larger, almost twice in width but just three ounces heavier than the South African’s bat. There is much more to a cricket bat than that meets the eye and to understand the nuances of it, let’s get into a history lesson on the cricket bat.
The Origins and Evolution of the Cricket Bat
The first mention of a cricket bat in the media was made in 1624 in a rather sad incident when a batsman killed a fielder with a bat to prevent the fielder from taking a catch.
The cricket bat in its early years resembled more of a hockey stick as the bowlers were not allowed to loop the ball and under-arm bowling was the norm. But as round-arm bowling was made legal in the latter half of the 18th century, the bats became more parallel, somewhat resembling the bats used today.
In 1771, the width of the bat was restricted to no more than 4.25 inches by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) after a batsman used a bat as wide as the stumps in a match between Reigate and Hambledon. Once over-arm bowling was made legal in 1864, the weight of the bat was drastically reduced to give more freedom to the batsmen in swinging the bat in all directions.
The 1870s saw a major change in the design and colour of the cricket bat as until then they were made from the heartwood part of the willow tree which gave the bat a darker outlook. But when the change happened from the heartwood to the sapwood part of the willow tree, the bats became light-coloured and were more aesthetically pleasing to the consumer.
The cricket bat’s weight, which was 5 pounds, was reduced to 2 pounds in the early 20th century, which was made famous by the premium batsmen of the age like Don Bradman, Walter Hammond and Ranjitsinghji. The bats remained the same until the 1960s when they weighed well over 3 pounds.
The weight was reduced further by sucking the moisture off the bat, which made them much lighter and harder. The majority of the bats were manufactured using the English willow, but in the 1970s, the Kashmir willow gained huge popularity in India and Pakistan. The bats made from the Kashmir willow were less durable, but when the ball hits the sweet spot, it travels further than the English willow.
As the bats became lighter and more powerful, the game became increasingly in favour of the batsmen. So, in 2017 the MCC brought in new regulations which restricted the width to 108mm, the depth to 67mm and the edges to 40mm.
It is fascinating to see the extent to which the cricket bat has evolved, considering that the cricket ball has remained virtually unchanged.
Cricket bat Sponsors over the years
As cricket gained popularity around the world and was seen as a commercial sport, the bat sponsors entered an arms race to sign the best batsmen in the world to promote their brands. Virat Kohli uses an MRF cricket bat, which is the leading tire manufacturer in India, and the deal is worth close to ₹100 crores.
The Adidas cricket bat and the SG cricket bat were made household names by Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. The SS, GM, and Kookaburra cricket bats were mainly used by Sri Lankan, South African, and Australian batsmen respectively through which these brands gained huge popularity around the world.
So how to choose a Cricket Bat?
Cricket is a pretty sophisticated game that requires the best equipment possible to showcase your skills to the maximum extent. So, choosing the best cricket bat is one of the most important and often the hardest things to master. Here, we look at some of the factors that you need to consider before choosing one.
Cricket bat Size
Cricket bats come in a wide array of sizes and you have to choose the best one relative to your height. Larger bats are not always the best way to go, especially if you are not tall enough as they will be very difficult to handle. You might want to check out a height-to-size chart to get an idea of the size of the bat you need to get.
Cricket bat Weight
The weight of a cricket bat determines the freedom with which you can swing it. Heavier bats are more powerful and durable but can be harder for some players to handle.
If you are not able to handle a heavy bat, you have to play straight down the ground mostly and the cut and pull shots might go out of the window. Lighter bats give you more freedom as they have an easy bat swing which allows you to play every shot in the book. You have to choose depending on your physical strength and appearance.
Cricket bat Shape
This mainly depends on various factors like where you want the ‘sweet spot’ to be on the bat, your batting style, and the type of wickets you might play in. If you drive the ball more, then your sweet spot should be as low as possible or if you play on the front foot more, then the sweet spot should be in the middle and if you play the cut and pull shots more often, then it should be higher up the bat. The sweet spot is where the majority of the power comes from, so you have to choose wisely.
Grade of the Cricket bat
Cricket bats come in 5 grades, from 1 to 5 with 1 being the most reliable, durable and also the most expensive. The willow with which the bat is made is of two types – English willow and Kashmir willow. Kashmir willows are less durable and also less expensive while English willows are more reliable and durable. You have to choose depending on your budget and the required quality.
Cricket bat Grip and Handle
Handles are important as you have direct control over them and they come in two types – oval handles and round handles. Oval handles are strong and provide more control over the bat but are hard to grip while round handles are easy to grip and control.
Major types of cricket bat grips available are Chevron grip, Octopus grip and Fish scale grip and you need to choose what you are most comfortable with.
So these are some of the factors that you need to consider before getting a cricket bat, and the most important thing is how comfortable you are with the bat and the freedom with which you can swing it.