Cricket bat

A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batsmen in the sport of cricket to hit the ball. It is usually made of willow wood. Its use is first mentioned in 1624.


The bat is traditionally made from willow wood, specifically from a variety of White Willow called Cricket Bat Willow, treated with raw (unboiled) linseed oil. The oil has a protective function. This wood is used as it is very tough and shock-resistant, not being significantly dented nor splintering on the impact of a cricket ball at high speed, while also being light in weight. It incorporates a wooden spring design where the handle meets the blade. The current design of a cane handle spliced into a willow blade was the invention in the 1880s of Charles Richardson, a pupil of Brunel and the chief engineer of the Severn railway tunnel.The blade of a cricket bat is a wooden block that is generally flat on the stiking face and with a ridge on the reverse (back) which concentrates wood in the middle where the ball is generally hit. The blade is connected to a long cylindrical cane handle, similar to that of a tennis racquet, by means of a splice. The edges of the blade closest to the handle are known as the shoulders of the bat, and the bottom of the blade is known as the toe of the bat.




Law 6 of the Laws of Cricket, as the rules of the game are known, limit the size of the bat to not more than 38 in (965 mm) long and the blade may not be more than 4.25 in (108 mm) wide. Bats typically weigh from 2 lb 8 oz to 3 lb (1.1 to 1.4 kg) though there is no standard. The handle is usually covered with a rubber or cloth sleeve to enhance grip and the face of the bat may have a protective film. Appendix E of the Laws of Cricket set out more precise specifications. Modern bats are usually machine made, however a few specialists (6 in England and 2 in Australia) still make hand-made bats, mostly for professional players. The art of hand-making cricket bats is known as podshaving.


Bats were not always this shape. Before the 18th century bats tended to be shaped similarly to a modern hockey sticks. This may well have been a legacy of the game's reputed origins. Although the first forms of cricket are lost in the mists of time, it may be that the game was first played using shepherds' crooks.


Until the rules of cricket were formalised in the 19th century, the game usually had lower stumps, the ball was bowled underarm (which is now illegal), and batsmen did not wear protective pads. As the game changed, so it was found that a differently shaped bat was better. The bat generally recognised as the oldest bat still in existence is dated 1729 and is on display in the Sandham Room at the Oval in London.